Digital Commons Network^™

Automated Plant Morphological Assessment And Microbial Community Monitoring In Simulated Lunar Regolith, Collin R. Topolski

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Upcoming lunar bases will need to leverage in-situ resources to ensure long-term sustainability and reduce mission costs. One key challenge is food production, which could be addressed by growing crops in lunar regolith-based substrates. However, lunar regolith lacks essential nutrients, requiring organic amendments to support continuous plant cultivation. This study examined the impact of manure-amended lunar regolith simulant on Mizuna mustard growth while assessing microbial community diversity and functionality. To support this effort, a custom software pipeline utilizing an open-source library, PlantCV, was developed to automatically track plant leaf area and height via image analysis. Results indicated that amended rhizosphere …

Turbulence And Energetic Ion Production In The Partially Magnetized Hollow Cathode Plume, Margaret Mary Mooney

Dissertations

Hall effect thrusters (HETs) are the most widely used electric propulsion (EP) device for in-space satellite propulsion. EP devices provide high efficiencies for extended mission lifetimes and low thrust for precision maneuvers. The hollow cathode is a critical HET component and undergoes extensive lifetime testing in addition to the lifetime testing of the full HET. Significant density gradients, non-Maxwellian electron behavior, and magnetic fields sufficiently strong enough to magnetize electrons in hollow cathode plumes create favorable conditions for the formation of plasma instabilities, which have an impact on cathode lifetime. Cathode qualification testing is typically conducted independently and includes a …

A Reinforcement Learning Approach For Maneuvering And Firing Decisions In Sead Operations, Nathaniel Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of automated processes in defense continues to expand, enhancing the lethality of military forces. Artificial intelligence accelerates decision-making cycles, removes the constraints of human-operated hardware, and improves coordination by enabling seamless integration across multiple systems. Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions are critical to the United States (U.S.) military, as they neutralize hostile air defense systems, ensuring air superiority and enabling safe and effective operations for aircraft in contested environments. Therefore, it is necessary to pair emerging autonomous capabilities with an important mission set in defense. This research investigates the Autonomous Unmanned Air-to-Ground Strike (AUAGS) problem, modeling …

Optimal Tissue Clearing Of Gastric Cancerous Organoids Imaged Via High Resolution Light Sheet Microscopy, Lauren D. Lieu

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

While the rate of surviving a myocardial infarction has increased in the past 60 years from 60% to 90%, the rate of Americans developing chronic heart disease such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and hypertensive heart disease has risen. This has led to the development of imaging technology such as Light Sheet Microscopy (LSM) and Light Field Microscopy (LFM) to study heart contractility and congenital heart disease via models such as cancerous organoids or Zebrafish. However, LSM and LFM results are highly dependent on the quality of the staining and cleared samples. This study looks to add to the growing field …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2025, 145th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Biological and Medical Sciences

Biology

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Science Education

Anthropology

Applied Science and Technology

Physics and Engineering

Forensic Sciences

Ecology, Sustainability, and Environmental Science

Maiben Lecture: Mary Ann Vinton, "State of the Academy"

Friends of Science Awards: David Crouse and Daniel Sitzman

Novel Nano-Formulations Based On Flash Nanoprecipitation For Ocular Drug Delivery, Lin Qi

Doctoral Dissertations

Effective ocular drug delivery has always been a challenge for clinical and research. Although many nanotechnology-based formulations have been developed and showed great potential in ocular drug delivery, this is far from enough to meet clinical requirements. These studies aimed at the design and synthesis of novel nanoparticles using multi-inlet vortex mixer (MIVM) to improve ocular drug delivery efficiency. The first project involves packaging two different anti-glaucoma drugs, brimonidine (BM) and betaxolol (BX), into solid drug nanoparticles (SDNs) by MIVM, which can achieve both functions, reducing aqueous humor production and promoting aqueous humor efflux. The studies demonstrate that the SDNs …

Fabricating Silver-Ceria Polymer Nanocomposite Scaffolds For Biomedical Therapeutic Applications, Shreya S. Pawar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Improper healing of bone fractures and limited regeneration of bone following bone tumor resection remain a prevalent complication worldwide. Long-term effects of this include joint instability, limited movement, and arthritis. Bone infections (osteomyelitis), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation via excessive inflammation, and underlying conditions such as osteoporosis can contribute to suboptimal bone tissue regeneration. ROS accumulation stimulates osteoblast apoptosis, while promoting osteoclast differentiation. These processes inhibit mineralization and osteogenesis. Conventional therapeutics involve the utilization of drugs and bone grafts. However, these approaches pose limitations and can result in subsequent complications. Microbial infections, ROS accumulation, and excessive inflammations are factors that …

Neurovascular Coupling Impairments In Acute Traumatic Brain Injury: An Eeg-Nirs Analysis, Zachary Armstrong

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of neurological impairment, often leading to variable recovery and uncertain prognosis in the neurocritical care setting. There is a pressing clinical need for robust, physiologically grounded biomarkers to inform prognosis and therapeutic decision-making in acute TBI. This thesis investigates neurovascular coupling (NVC), the physiological coordination between neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow, as a candidate biomarker for brain function and recovery after injury.

A prospective cohort study was performed using simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) recordings in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI and healthy controls. Wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analysis was …

Systematic Co-Culture Of Ipsc-Cm And Ipsc-An Promote Co-Maturation In Vitro, William Gregory Terrell Jr.

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The cardiac microenvironment is a complex system of multicellular interactions that enables proper heart function. In native heart muscle, sympathetic neurons (SN) and parasympathetic neurons (PSN) modulate the beat rate of cardiomyocytes (CM) to maintain homeostasis. Pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into CM, but differentiated CMs are fetal-like, with a high beat rate, and lack organized sarcomeric structure. Recent reports of co-cultured pluripotent CM/SN pairs have reported electrophysiological changes in the SN (increased upstroke velocity). However, interpretation of these results are obscured by the differences in co-culture parameters between studies (stage of development, co-culture duration, etc.). The goal of this …

Interfacing Neural Models: Biocompatibility And Fabrication Of A Flexible, Self-Folding Microelectrode Array, Fernando A. Pesantez Torres

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Neurodegenerative diseases pose a formidable challenge in modern medicine, necessitating the development of advanced research tools that can elucidate their complex pathophysiology. Recent advancements in neurodegenerative disease research have led to the development of three-dimensional (3D) neurodegenerative organoids using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). These organoids closely mimic human brain architecture and functionality, providing a valuable tool for understanding complex diseases. Additionally, the ability to generate and study brain organoids consistently and in large quantities holds potential for a controlled in vitro setting and high-throughput drug screening. However, these models are complex systems requiring specialized maintenance, analysis, and manipulation …

A Comprehensive Usability And Economic Analysis Of Heat-Related Wearable Technologies: Applications To Occupational Health, Ryan T. Cannady

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze the usability and economic considerations of real-time wearable technologies that are implemented in occupational settings to assess risk of heat stress and heat strain. The study population included current agriculture workers and Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management (EM) contractors. We employed a mixed-methods approach to comprehensively analyze the usability and economic considerations of heat-related technologies. Specifically, our approach assessed three distinct aspects the applications of these technologies in occupational settings to comprehensively address our research objective: (1) worker perceptions of heat-related wearable technologies, (2) field-based assessment of these heat-related wearable technologies, …

Feasibility Study On Microwave Glucose Level Monitoring, Ricardo Cepeda

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes management heavily relies on regular blood glucose monitoring, which traditionally involves invasive techniques. In recent years, significant research has been directed towards developing non-invasive glucose monitoring methods, particularly using electromagnetic waves. This study explores the feasibility of detecting blood glucose levels non-invasively by measuring the resonant frequency shifts of an antenna, influenced by the dielectric properties of blood. Microwave measurement techniques have garnered attention due to their ability to safely penetrate human tissue and detect biochemical markers like glucose. While previous studies have established a link between glucose concentration and dielectric properties, many techniques suffer from poor sensitivity or …

Demonstrating Feasibility Of Ultrasound-Sensitive Microbubbles Delivery To Treat Disruptions In The Blood Brain Barrier Endothelium, Rubens Jourdain

Theses and Dissertations

Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is one of the main causes of dementia. VCID is caused by age and other genetic factors that lead to disruptions in the blood brain barrier (BBB) and allow blood components to enter the brain. The currently available treatments of VCID include opening the BBB with high-frequency-ultrasound to deliver drugs to the brain. However, this only treats the already developed disease. Consequently, we developed a new drug delivery system whose goal is to restore the brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC) lining the blood vessel. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility …

Study Of Temperature Effects Of Glucose And Microwave Dielectric Dispersion Model, Ethan Grant Boone

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the temperature effect of dielectric properties in various aqueous solutions containing glucose are examined. A design for a new testing chamber is introduced to provide improved conditions for testing to ensure accurate and precise measurements. A N-SMA Adaptor is used when obtaining dielectric characteristics of glucose solutions ranging 100-300mg/dl. Dielectric parameters are obtained adopting a modified Debye dispersion model. MATLAB is used to confirm coaxial dimensions are suitable fabrication designs using fixed dielectric parameters of air and water. Simulations and design models were implemented utilizing ANSYS High Frequency Structure Simulator and 3-D Modeler software to develop the …

Stressfit: A Hybrid Wearable Physicochemical Sensor Suite For Simultaneously Measuring Electromyogram And Sweat Cortisol, Nafize Ishtiaque Hossain, Tanzila Noushin, Shawana Tabassum

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study introduces StressFit, a novel hybrid wearable sensor system designed to simultaneously monitor electromyogram (EMG) signals and sweat cortisol levels. Our approach involves the development of a noninvasive skin patch capable of monitoring skin temperature, sweat pH, cortisol levels, and corresponding EMG signals using a combination of physical and electrochemical sensors integrated with EMG electrodes. StressFit was optimized by enhancing sensor output and mechanical resilience for practical application on curved body surfaces, ensuring accurate acquisition of cortisol, pH, body temperature, and EMG data without sensor interference. In addition, we integrated an onboard data processing unit with Internet of Things …

Development Of 3d Human Cardiovascular And Cancer Tissue Model Within A Self-Driven Microfluidic Platform For Preclinical Drug Screening, Aibhlin Alexis Esparza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

According to the American Heart Association and World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Monolayer cell culture (2D) and animal models are conventional methods to study CVDs, however, they limit researcherâ??s ability to simulate the human cardiovascular cellular microenvironments and accurate predication of pharmaceutical drug responses. Human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), biomaterials, and microfluidic technologies can be combined to create a controlled, reproducible 3D platform to study physiologically-relevant cellular responses to biochemical and physical changes in the microenvironment. My dissertation work demonstrates the development of novel self-driven microfluidic devices designed with …

T. Boudieri Extract Potentiates The Effects Of Capecitabine Treatment In Human Colon Cancer Cells, Katia Sawaya, Mahmoud Khalil, Ghada Khawaja

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Resistance to chemotherapy remains a major challenge for colorectal cancer patients worldwide, hence the persistent need to uncover alternative treatments as well as new adjunct therapies in the fight against cancer. Natural extracts constitute an excellent source of bioactive substances that have a promising potential in that regard, with minimal negative side effects. We have previously demonstrated that both the ethanolic as well as the water extracts of Terfezia boudieri, a black desert truffle abundant in and part of the cuisine of the Mediterranean region, have significant antiproliferative effects against colon cancer cells. Our aim in this study was …

A Case Study: Impacts Of A Building Retrofit On Employee Efficiency And Productivity, Rigo Zepeda

Construction Management

This case study explores the effects of retrofitting building systems on operational efficiency and employee productivity in the contemporary office environment. As concerns over sustainability and the well-being of employees are now at the forefront of modern workplace design, the retrofitting of outmoded building systems has been seen as an option to enhance energy efficiency and occupant satisfaction. This research paper focuses on the recently retrofitted Performance Contracting office building in Benicia, California. As heating and ventilation systems, and lighting are two big contributors to energy consumption in buildings and comfort, analyzing these systems provided insight into its building performance. …

Examining Elevation Opening Ratio And Space Proportions In Lebanese Schools, Chirine Traboulsi, Mary Felix

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The academic performance and outcomes of students are significantly impacted by the architecture of educational institutions. When designing learning spaces, two important considerations are the size of the room and the elevation opening percentage that describe how much daylight enters the space through windows. Previous studies showed that these factors have an important effect on student learning performance. This study explores the link between elevation opening percentage and space proportions in educational institutions. In order to assess daylight dispersal in a classroom in Lebanon that faced north—the direction required for the nation's best solar exposure—a quantitative approach utilizing modelling software …

Real-Time Measurements From Wearable Sensors To Enhance Stability On Uneven Terrain, Sophie Copelin

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The presented thesis is a study of sensation associated with inversion/eversion movement about the anterior/posterior axis. The long-term goal is to create a system that provides feedback to a prosthesis user, so their chances of falling is decreased. This feedback system would use wearable sensors to detect certain angles, so that sensory feedback could be provided. The study aimed to determine if Xsens Movella DOT sensors could be used in a system like this, so the accuracy of the Xsens Movella DOT sensors was assessed and the difference in angles that could be determined by them when compared to that …

Development And Characterization Of A Low Intensity Vibrational System For Microgravity Studies, Omor Khan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The advent of extended-duration human spaceflight demands a better comprehension of the physiological impacts of microgravity. One primary concern is the adverse impact on the musculoskeletal system, including muscle atrophy and bone density reduction. Ground-based microgravity simulations have provided insights, with vibrational bioreactors emerging as potential mitigators of these negative effects. Despite the potential they have, the adaptation of vibrational bioreactors for space remains unfulfilled, resulting in a significant gap in microgravity research. This paper introduces the first automated low-intensity vibrational (LIV) bioreactor designed specifically for the International Space Station (ISS) environment. Our research covers the bioreactor's design and characterization, …

Injectable And Rapidly Expandable Thrombin-Decorated Cryogels Achieve Rapid Hemostasis And High Survival Rates In A Swine Model Of Lethal Junctional Hemorrhage, Syed Muntazir Andrabi, S.M. Shatil Shahriar, Al-Murtadha Al-Gahmi, Benjamin L. Wilczewski, Mark A. Carlson, Jingwei Xie

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Effective therapies are urgently needed to stabilize patients with marginally compressible junctional hemorrhage long enough to get them to the hospital alive. Herein, we report injectable and rapidly expandable cryogels consisting of polyacrylamide and thrombin (AT cryogels) created by cryo-polymerization for the efficient management of lethal junctional hemorrhage in swine. The produced cryogels have small pore sizes and highly interconnected porous architecture with robust mechanical strength. The cryogels exhibit rapid shape memory properties and prove to be resilient against fatigue. These cryogels also show high water/blood absorption capacity, fast blood clotting effect, and enhanced adhesion of red blood cells and …

A Natural Interaction Paradigm To Facilitate Cardiac And Nerve Anatomy Education Using Augmented Reality And A Surgical Metaphor, Shashikala S V, Amith D, Lekhana H L, Disha T S, Likith R

International Conference on ‘NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY'

No abstract provided.

Reinforcement Learning For Team Based Air Combat Maneuvering Decisions With Directed Energy Weaponry, Joshua D. Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Leveraging the Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) we investigate the use of reinforcement learning (RL) techniques for imbuing AUCAV agents with high-quality behaviors for the within-visual-range air combat maneuvering problem (ACMP). We formulate the 2v2 WVR ACMP as a Markov decision process wherein friendly AUCAVs are equipped with DEW capabilities and operate with 6 degrees of freedom. We utilize the Double Deep Q-Network RL algorithm, which centrally trains two friendly AUCAVs and employ a phased learning approach, initially exposing the AUCAVs to a dense reward environment for early training, followed by a sparse reward environment to encourage …

Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention Of Women In Stem, Kira Carter, Jane Kelley, Jason Vasser-Elong, Rc Patterson

Dissertations

Our co-authored research ‘Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors’ analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and while careers in (STEM) are an integral part of the US economy, women are underrepresented in these career fields. The purpose of our dissertation is to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM majors. Our methodology included homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. More specifically, we consulted with academic advisors and …

Copper−Cystine Biohybrid-Embedded Nanofiber Aerogels Show Antibacterial And Angiogenic Properties, Anik Karan, Navatha S. Polavaram, Margarita Darder, Yajuan Su, Syed Muntazir Andrabi, S M Shatil Shahriar, Johnson V. John, Zeyu Luo, Mark A. Decoster, Yu Shrike Zhang, Jingwei Xie

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Copper−cystine-based high aspect ratio structures (CuHARS) possess exceptional physical and chemical properties and exhibit remarkable biodegradability in human physiological conditions. Extensive testing has confirmed the biocompatibility and biodegradability of CuHARS under diverse biological conditions, making them a viable source of essential Cu²⁺. These ions are vital for catalyzing the production of nitric oxide (NO) from the decomposition of Snitrosothiols (RSNOs) found in human blood. The ability of CuHARS to act as a Cu²⁺ donor under specific concentrations has been demonstrated in this study, resulting in the generation of elevated levels of NO. Consequently, this dual function makes …

Experimental Environmental Profiles And Sloshing Dynamics Aboard Zero-G Aircraft, Pedro J. Llanos, Sathya Gangadharan, Kevin Crosby

Publications

This study presents the results of a parabolic flight experiment to study the sloshing dynamics of the magneto-active propellant management device experiment. This device utilizes a magnetoactive membrane and magnets located external to the tank to effectively damp the liquid free surface motion. This research work establishes a benchmark with sloshing analytical formulation and sensor calibration methods that can be used to characterize future research parabolic flights while providing important environmental profiles measured during flight, such as accelerations, pitch angle, velocity, temperature, total volatile content, carbon dioxide, relative humidity, magnetic field, and radiation. Correlation between these flight variables and the …

Identification Of Faulty Sensor Nodes In Wban Using Genetically Linked Artificial Neural Network, Haider Rasheed Abdulshaheed, Mayasa M. Abdulrahman, Israa Ibraheem Al_Barazanchi, Jamal Fadhil Tawfeq

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have risen as a promising innovation for checking human physiological parameters in real time. Be that as it may, the unwavering quality and precision of WBANs depend on the right working of sensor hubs. The distinguishing proof of defective sensor hubs is vital for guaranteeing the quality of information collected by WBANs. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to recognizing faulty sensor hubs in WBAN employing a hereditarily linked artificial neural organize (GLANN). The GLANN is preparedto employa crossbreedfuzzy-genetic calculation to optimize its execution in distinguishing defective sensor hubs. The proposed approach is …

Adaptable And Trustworthy Machine Learning For Human Activity Recognition From Bioelectric Signals, Morgan S. Stuart

Theses and Dissertations

Enabling machines to learn measures of human activity from bioelectric signals has many applications in human-machine interaction and healthcare. However, labeled activity recognition datasets are costly to collect and highly varied, which challenges machine learning techniques that rely on large datasets. Furthermore, activity recognition in practice needs to account for user trust - models are motivated to enable interpretability, usability, and information privacy. The objective of this dissertation is to improve adaptability and trustworthiness of machine learning models for human activity recognition from bioelectric signals. We improve adaptability by developing pretraining techniques that initialize models for later specialization to unseen …

Cellular Level Changes Induced In Cancer Cells Due To Microgravity, Sai Deepika Reddy Yaram

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increase in human activity in space has revealed several kinds of physiological challenges brought on by the absence of Earth's gravitational pull. NASA observed that during spaceflight, astronauts experience a 1-1.5% monthly loss in the mineral density of weight-bearing bones, with rehabilitation efforts on Earth often proving ineffective. This issue extends to muscles, the neuro vestibular system, the cardiovascular system, and vision. Cancer has emerged as a significant cause of mortality among astronauts, with studies up to 2017 showing that 41.3% of natural cause deaths among U.S. astronauts were due to cancer, primarily due to space radiation exposure. Cancer …