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The Three Sisters And Soil Health (Lesson 1), Mara Johnson, Madhav P. Nepal, Jiyul Chang

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students will begin a week-long unit on soil health that is connected to the chapter The Three Sisters from the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Students will begin the week by reading the chapter and answering discussion questions, and each subsequent day will build on this introduction with project-based learning activities. This module is designed to bridge traditional Indigenous knowledge with primary scientific inquiry, allowing students to explore soil nutrients, polycultures, and agricultural health in a way they can apply to their own lives and local food sovereignty efforts on the Rosebud Reservation.

Soil Nutrients And Composting (Lesson 3), Mara Johnson, Jiyul Chang, Madhav P. Nepal

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students investigate how nutrient cycling contributes to soil health and agricultural sustainability. Building upon previous lessons on the Three Sisters planting system and soil health analysis, students explore composting as a strategy for restoring nutrients in soils. Students learn the roles of carbon-rich "browns" and nitrogen-rich "greens" in decomposition and construct miniature composting systems using locally available organic materials. Through observation, data collection, and long-term monitoring, students analyze how microorganisms recycle nutrients and convert organic matter into fertile soil amendments. Students connect composting to traditional ecological knowledge, food sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and sustainable agriculture while evaluating how …

Scientific Note: Here The Whole Time: A Revised Understanding Of White Alumroot (Heuchera Alba, Saxifragaceae) In The Susquehanna River Valley., Anais Barnes, Madeline Wickers, Scott Schuette, Tanisha M. Williams, Ryan Folk, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Heuchera alba and H. pubescens (Saxifragaceae) are closely related species of alumroot endemic to the Appalachian region of eastern North America that can be difficult to distinguish morphologically. Heuchera pubescens has been understood to occupy a range from Kentucky to Pennsylvania, with the distribution of H. alba restricted to Virginia and West Virginia—plus a recently-recorded extension into Pennsylvania discovered with the help of social media. The uncovering of H. alba in Pennsylvania has challenged historical perceptions of Heuchera distributions in the state, particularly as this relates to the current concept of H. pubescens which may be in need of revision. …

Exploring The Effects Of Pest-Induced Hemlock Mortality On Growth In Neighboring Trees, Sidney L. Booher

McNair Culminating Research Projects

Trees provide many important products and services to humans. In particular, tree growth is critical to carbon storage, air and water quality, and helps determine demographic processes like population growth and reproductive success. Importantly, tree growth is sensitive to both abiotic (environmental) and biotic factors and is vulnerable to ecological disturbances. Understanding how tree populations respond to disturbances, like invasive pests, is therefore crucial to formulating timely and effective forest management practices.

Here, I used tree ring analysis to investigate how competition for water between neighboring trees changes following the decline of Eastern and Carolina Hemlock(ECH) trees due to the …

Exploring The Therapeutic Potential Of Kinetin In Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Hamna Muzaffar

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Allergic contact dermatitis is T cell mediated inflammatory skin disorder commonly studied using contact hypersensitivity mouse model. It induces local inflammation and further evidence suggests that gut microbiome also contributes to disease progression. However, kinetin, a natural plant hormone modulates these immune processes. After TNCB successfully induces CHS, kinetin treatment resulted in significant reduction in serum IgE levels while its effect on ear swelling and histological changes were modest. Microbiome analysis revealed no major difference in alpha diversity instead beta diversity demonstrated increased microbial heterogeneity in TNCB-treated mice group. Conversely, Kinetin-treated groups exhibited a microbial profile similar to wild type …

Discovery Of Bmi-Associated Gut Microbiome Signatures In The Awi-Gen 2 Cohort, Meriem Yagoubi

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is increasing across sub-Saharan Africa amid rapid dietary, environmental, and urbanization transitions, yet the gut microbiome features associated with adiposity in African populations remain under-characterized. This study investigated whether species-level gut microbiome composition is associated with body mass index (BMI) in the AWI-Gen 2 cohort, and whether BMI-associated microbial signals remain detectable after accounting for the dominant geographic structure of the microbiome. Gut microbiome community structure and diversity were characterized across 1,665 participants, and differential abundance analysis was used to identify taxa associated with BMI after controlling for study site. Machine learning models were then trained to assess how …

Chromatin Insulators Homie And Nhomie Can Interact With Distant Copies Either Together Or Separately, With Distinct Outcomes For Enhancer-Promoter Interactions, Miki Fujioka, Wenfan Ke, Paul Schedl, James B. Jaynes

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Chromatin insulators, a.k.a. boundary elements, separate regions of the chromosome with distinct chromatin characteristics, including distinct histone modifications. This activity affects gene expression by allowing chromatin domains to be stably regulated and maintained. Insulators also block enhancer-promoter interactions and, somewhat paradoxically, facilitate other interactions, particularly when they stitch together distant regions of the chromosome by pairing with specific partners. Here we explore how long-range interactions facilitated by insulator pairing are affected by the presence of two potentially competing partners. Our results show that when two partners are present, they can reduce each other's effects on distant gene expression, suggesting that …

Uncovering Dkk1 As A Therapeutically Relevant Target In Aggressive Er+ Breast Cancer Using A Novel Antiestrogen, Kristen Young

Dissertations

Over 70 percent of breast cancers are estrogen receptor-positive (ERα+), meaning that the hormone estrogen drives tumor growth. Although first-line targeted therapies that directly block ERα from hormone-dependent pathologies are initially effective, almost half of patients ultimately progress. These patients show high mutational rates to the ESR1 gene that encodes for ERα. A hotspot missense tyrosine to serine mutation at position 537 (Y537S) initiates hormone-independent, allele-specific transcriptional programs that increase metastasis. While next-generation ERα-targeted therapies show promise, benefits are often limited compared to standard-of-care. Understanding the mechanisms of action used by the Y537S ESR1 breast cancer cells to evade therapeutic …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Organometallic Polymers And Their Cytotoxicity Towards Human Cancer Cell Lines, Paul Peter Slawek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to synthesize organometallic polymers from dialkyl (methyl, ethyl, butyl, cyclohexyl, and octyl) and diaryl (phenyl) tin dichlorides and three organic monomers, dipicolinic acid (DPA), chloramphenicol (CH), and isomannide (IS), using interfacial polymerization. Structure-activity relationships were investigated through physicochemical characterization (light-scattering photometry, proton NMR, and IR spectroscopy) and cytotoxicity was evaluated against six human cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, PANC-1, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HT-29, PC-3), with cisplatin serving as the reference standard.

Five DPA/tin polymers were synthesized, with IC₅₀ values in the range of 0.60–0.71 μg/mL. Their cytotoxicity was significantly lower than that of cisplatin (0.0023-0.044 μg/mL), suggesting that …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Synergistic Bioactive– Organometallic Condensation Polymers, Francesca Isabel Mosca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the synthesis and structural characterization of polymers with anticipated anticancer and antiviral properties by combining metal-containing Lewis acids, organotin dichlorides (R2SnCl2), Group 4 metallocene dichlorides (Cp2TiCl2, Cp2ZrCl2 and Cp2HfCl2), and triphenyl Group 15 metal dichlorides (Ph3AsCl2, Ph3SbCl2 and Ph3BiCl2), with biologically active Lewis bases, lamivudine, a synthetic nucleoside, and camphoric acid, a dicarboxylic acid, to achieve synergistic effect.

Five classes of polymers were synthesized using interfacial polymerization: lamivudine and organotin dichlorides, lamivudine and Group 4 metallocene dichlorides, camphoric acid and triphenyl Group 15 metal dichlorides, camphoric acid and organotin dichlorides, and camphoric acid and Group 4 …

Current Status Of Anthelmintic Resistance In Meat Goats: A Comparative Efficacy Study Of Albendazole And Fenbendazole In Maha Sarakham, Thailand, Minta Pipatsakulpak, Usanisa Boonum, Kotchakorn Roongruang, Benjawan Sae-Chue, Sukanya Leethongdee, Songsak Chumpawadee, Nattaya Watwiengkam, Pongphol Pongthaisong

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes threatens sustainable goat production globally. While resistance is well-documented in many regions, data from Thailand remain limited. This study determined the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and assessed the efficacy of albendazole and fenbendazole in meat goats in Maha Sarakham province, northeastern Thailand. A two-stage cross-sectional study was conducted on 10 meat goat farms between August 2021 and March 2022. In Stage 1, fecal samples from 150 goats were examined using simple flotation and sedimentation techniques to identify parasite morphology. In Stage 2, the McMaster technique was employed to quantify fecal egg counts (FEC). Twenty-six goats …

Diversification Of Ghost Electric Fishes (Gymnotiformes, Apteronotidae) In Tropical South America: How Traits And Environmental Factors Constrain Macroevolutionary Diversification, Jonathan Gifford Allen

Doctoral Dissertations

Neotropical electric fishes (Apteronotidae) display remarkable phenotypic and ecological diversity, offering an exceptional system for studying macroevolutionary processes in freshwater environments. Here I investigate the morphological, ecological, and historical factors shaping diversification in the clade Navajini, with a focus on craniofacial evolution, species delimitation, and biogeographic patterns. First, using high-resolution micro-CT scans, 3D geometric morphometrics, and phylogenetic comparative methods, I analyze skull shape variation across Navajini. Key traits resulting from heterocephaly exhibit strong phylogenetic signal and reflect functional differentiation among genera. Sexual dimorphism contributes significantly to cranial disparity in some lineages, while others show conserved, modular patterns likely tied to …

Targeting Inflammatory And Growth Signaling Pathways In Breast Cancer Through Diet, Microbiome, And Metabolite Interactions, Brittany Lorraine Witt

ETDs from 2020-2029

Breast cancer (BC) accounts for 1 in 3 (or 30%) of all new female cancers each year and is the most common malignant cancer in women in the United States. Since the 1990s, there has been a 44% decrease in BC, but there is still a significant gap between certain groups in terms of mortality rates. Black women have a higher mortality rate and risk for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This may be due to social (inadequate access to health care facilities, insurance, or completion of therapy) and biological (genetic mutations, tumor characteristics, or comorbidity) factors between races and other …

Growing Pains: The Loss Of Plasticity To Extreme Anoxia In Developing Embryos Of Austrofundulus Limnaeus, Patrick Ryan Clouser

Dissertations and Theses

Oxygen plays a pivotal role for most animal life on Earth, so much so that even short exposures to no oxygen, anoxia, can have severe effects on the animal's wellbeing. Conversely, aerobic recovery after anoxic insult can be just as detrimental. Some animals are the exception to this rule and demonstrate survival through anoxia and recovery. There has been a great deal of research around anoxia tolerant animals, but what remains unclear are the genetic underpinnings that determine the anoxia tolerant phenotype. RNA sequencing allows for the quantification of RNA transcripts within a sample, which can indicate if a gene …

Comparison Of Fish Biomass And Fish Carbon Content Associated With Reef Sites At The Rio Grande Valley Artificial Reef In The Gulf Of Mexico, Allison K. White, Md Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

As global fisheries stocks have decreased due to overfishing and climate change, artificial reefs have gained significant attention. In addition to providing or restoring habitat, artificial reefs may serve as carbon capture sinks and potential climate mitigation strategies. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Reef is an artificial reef located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas. The RGV Reef area spans 1,650 acres and is comprised of hundreds of groupings of recycled and pre-formed materials ranging from low relief (1–2 ft) to high relief (8–30 ft) reef structures. This reef provides a variety of novel habitat …

Biologically Informed Negative Samplingfor Antibody Chain Pairing Classification, Ishita Singh

Computer Science Senior Theses

Antibody heavy and light chain (H/L) pairing is fundamental to antigen recognition and stability. While single-cell sequencing preserves native pairing information, widely used bulk repertoire and spatial transcriptomics platforms do not, motivating the need for efficient ML methods to infer H/L pairing. Training a binary classifier for this task faces the methodological challenge of a lack of true biological negatives, since natural selection eliminates B cells with incompatible H/L pairs.

In this thesis, I introduce a biologically informed negative sampling strategy for H/L pairing classification, drawing on known V-gene biases in heavy and light chain pairing. Pseudo-negatives are constructed by …

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2026 Volume Number 1, Margaret Cozens, Johann Heupel, Owen Placido, Paul Salopek, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

“Building community around the places we love,” is the theme of the Spring-Summer 2026 issue of Wrack Lines magazine. Learn about the work of the Six Lakes Park coalition in Hamden, Riverfront Recapture in Hartford, MyCoast in southeastern Connecticut and the statewide land conservation conference. Additional stories tell about the artistry and mission of photographer-videographer Tomas Koeck, and National Geographic explorer Paul Salopek, who is traveling the world on foot.

Vitamin D–Amp Axis In Host Defense Against Fungal Infections, Nuraly S. Akimbekov, Ilya Digel, Svetlana K. Sakhanova, Kuanysh Tastambek, Dinara K. Sherelkhan, Mohammed S. Razzaque

School of Medicine Publications

Vitamin D–mediated regulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is an important focus in innate immunology and is aimed at elucidating the role of vitamin D in enhancing antimicrobial defense. AMPs are short protein chains that serve as a first line of defense against invading pathogens, including fungi, bacteria and viruses. Unlike conventional antibiotics, AMPs are produced endogenously and are less likely to induce antimicrobial resistance, making them promising candidates for treating infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens. Studies indicate that optimal vitamin D levels are essential for activating antimicrobial pathways and regulating AMPs that target multiple fungal pathogens. This article summarizes recent …

Life Without Oxygen: Cellular Mechanisms Enabling Genome Maintenance And Proliferation In Cells From An Anoxia-Tolerant Vertebrate, Riley Asa Roth-Carter

Dissertations and Theses

When exposed to the complete loss of oxygen (anoxia) most organisms undergo rapid cellular deterioration driven by a range of metabolic dysfunctions associated with the loss of the terminal electron acceptor for aerobic respiration. This loss of ability to create and maintain necessary levels of cellular ATP through oxidative phosphorylation contributes to loss of membrane potentials, increase in the accumulation of acidic by-products of anaerobic metabolism, and a decrease in the ability to support other molecular processes that rely on a steady supply of ATP. While this extreme oxygen stress is lethal to a majority of vertebrate organisms there are …

Loss Of Mct1 Mediated Lactate Uptake Causes Delayed Endplate Maturation And Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, Maria Tsingas, Konstantinos Tsingas, Mei Smyers, Wujuan Zhang, Aaron R. Goldman, Eulisa Lawrence, John A. Collins, Makarand V. Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

During skeletal growth, it is thought that the lactate secreted by the glycolytic nucleus pulposus (NP) cells exits the intervertebral disc into circulation via endplates. Our current studies challenge this long-held notion. Mice with early postnatal, endplate, and annulus fibrosus-specific deletion of lactate importer, MCT1, exhibited disc degeneration characterized by NP cell loss and pronounced endplate structural changes. Using metabolic and transcriptomic approaches, we demonstrate that MCT1 loss inhibits endplate chondrocyte differentiation and that lactate serves both as a crucial TCA metabolite and promotes protein and histone lactylation and gene expression. These findings suggest that during skeletal growth, NP-derived lactate …

Napier Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum) Meal Modulates Growth Efficiency, Gut Morphology, And Systemic Health In Broiler Chickens, Eric Lim Teik Chung, Yee Lyn Ong, Nazri Nayan, Muhamad Faris Ab Aziz, Faez Firdaus Abdullah Jesse, Faizal Andri, Arissara Sopawong

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Grass and leaf meals, which include vital phytocompounds, have the potential to be a natural and safe alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry. Therefore, this study aims to assess Pennisetum purpureum leaf meal and its phytocompounds on the health performances of colored-broilers. A total of 216 unsexed Sasso chicks were assigned to six diet groups. The negative control (T1) received a commercial basal diet without antibiotics, while the positive control (T2) received the same diet with oxytetracycline (100 mg/kg). Groups T3 to T6 received no antibiotics and included P. purpureum meal at 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, or 5.00 grams per …

An Integrative Approach To The Evolution Of Neotropical Whale Catfishes (Family: Cetopsidae), Daniel Akin

Doctoral Dissertations

The catfishes (order Siluriformes) represent over five percent of world’s vertebrate diversity. The story of vertebrate evolution remains incomplete without a thorough evaluation of catfishes, and the ichthyological community is yet to reach consensus on some of the deeper evolutionary patterns within this fascinating group. Our complete macro-evolutionary understanding of catfishes is inhibited by a paucity of information on the taxonomies, phylogenetics, ecologies, and life histories of many understudied groups of catfishes. One such group is the Neotropical whale catfishes of the family Cetopsidae. This dissertation provides an integrated approach to studying the family Cetopsidae. I use genomics to determine …

The Evolutionary Response Of HawaiʻI ʻAmakihi (Chlorodrepanis Virens) To The Introduction Of Avian Malaria (Plasmodium Relictum), Gabrielle Atkinson

Doctoral Dissertations

The emergence of novel pathogens can impose intense selective pressures on natural populations, driving rapid evolutionary change or precipitating population collapse. In Hawaiʻi, the introduction of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) and its mosquito vector (Culex quinquefasciatus) have caused severe declines and extinctions among native forest birds. Yet some populations of Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) persist across a broad elevational and disease gradient, providing a powerful natural system for examining the genomic basis of rapid adaptation, the role of gene flow in adaptive response, and the potential for parallel evolutionary responses. This dissertation integrates genomic, population genetic, and transcriptomic approaches to …

Diversity, Systematics, And Phylogenomics Of The Neotropical Glass And Longtail Knifefishes (Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae), Kevin Thomas Torgersen

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation provides a comprehensive systematic and phylogenetic study of the electric knifefish family Sternopygidae, integrating morphological, molecular, osteological, and phylogenomic data to clarify species diversity, evolutionary relationships, and biogeographic patterns in this Neotropical group. Across six studies, the work reveals that Sternopygidae diversity has been significantly underestimated due to morphological conservatism that obscures species boundaries. Chapter 1 revises the genus Sternopygus in the Guiana Shield, identifying nine species (five new) using osteology, morphometrics, and µCT imaging. Distinct anatomical traits and distribution patterns show strong regional structuring, highlighting the Guiana Shield as a diversification center. Chapter 2 describes a new …

Severity Of Deficit In Skeletal Muscle Lipid Metabolism Invokes Unique Adaptive Responses In Dietary Lipid Intake And Absorption, Victoria Datta

Masters Theses

Skeletal muscle plays a central role in whole-body lipid metabolism through mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation (FAO). When skeletal muscle lipid metabolism is impaired, whole-body adaptations occur to maintain metabolic homeostasis. We hypothesized that limiting skeletal muscle lipid metabolism through mitochondria and/or peroxisomes would trigger adaptive responses to reduce dietary lipid intake and/or absorption with the most robust changes coinciding with deficit severity. Mice were generated with skeletal muscle-specific deletion of 1) carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b (Cpt1bM-/-) to limit mitochondrial FAO, 2) peroxin 5 (Pex5M-/-) to impair peroxisomal FAO, and 3) both Cpt1b and Pex5 (DKO). Results were compared to …

Investigating Patterns Of (Mal)Adaptation In Two Dominant Cajun Prairie Grasses: Schizachyrium Scoparium And Panicum Virgatum, Braden Isaiah Doucet

Masters Theses

Local adaptation is assumed to be prevalent within natural populations, but anthropogenic climate change and habitat destruction have been demonstrated to cause maladaptation. This thesis examines patterns of adaptation within two dominant grass species of our local Cajun Prairie ecosystem, Panicum virgatum and Schizachyrium scoparium. Using a provenance common garden study, our results reveal how climate change and habitat destruction have altered the patterns of adaptation within local populations. Chapter 1 examines how source climate and geographic distance predicts population fitness. Chapter 2 examines the type, magnitude, and direction of selection acting on key ecological traits of both species, as …

First Course Portfolio For Plpt 803 Fundamentals Of Scientific Discovery, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

PLPT 803 Fundamentals of Scientific discovery is a new curse in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I designed and developed this course from the ground up. Initially, it was offered as a special topic (PLPT 892-014) for four years. PLPT 803 was approved by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources curriculum committee in September of 2025. PLPT 803 is unique within the University of Nebraska system and will be offered for the first time in the fall of 2027. The course is designed for students to learn fundamental scientific skills such as scrutinize, …

Life-Stage Specific Predatory Efficiency Of 2 Generalist Predators Of Bemisia Tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Itohan Aigbedion-Atalor, Abdelmutalab G. Azrag, Alvin M. Simmons, Jason M. Schmidt

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an economically damaging invasive pest to global vegetable production. Current management strategies rely heavily on insecticides, but increasing levels of resistance raise sustainability concerns. Therefore, strengthening integrated pest management (IPM) programs requires enhancing biocontrol through improved predator-pest interactions. Despite the well-established relevance of functional response modulation by multiple environmental factors, limited research has explored how plant traits and prey life stages interact to influence the efficiency of generalist predators in vegetable systems. To address this gap, we evaluated the functional responses of 2 adult generalist predators, Hippodamia convergens (Guérin-Méneville) and Geocoris punctipes (Say), against 3 nymphal …

Nmda Receptor Subunit Nmr-2 Regulates Pathogen-Induced Immune Responses Via The Nervous System In C. Elegans, Benson Otarigho, Jonathan Lalsiamthara, Alejandro Aballay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neural control of innate immunity must balance restraint of basal immune activity with rapid activation upon pathogen encounter. Glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, has been implicated in several neurological disorders associated with inflammation, suggesting a potential link to immune regulation. However, how glutamatergic signaling contributes to immune balance remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that the NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit NMR-2, a component of the NMDA receptor complex, acts in the

Diabetes Mellitus Exacerbates Covid-19 Severity And Prolongs Recovery: A Clinical Study From Southern Iraq, Hussein Ali Hussein Al-Hchaimi, Mohammad Ali Hassan Jassim, Mustafa Abbass, Shahab Abdulla, Ralela Makline

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Diabetes mellitus (DM) constitutes one of the most consequential comorbidities shaping the clinical trajectory of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), operating through intersecting mechanisms of chronic inflammation, endothelial injury, and immunosuppression that collectively amplify viral pathogenicity. This study investigated the impact of diabetes type on COVID-19 symptom severity, hospitalization duration, and recovery time among patients in Nasiriyah City, southern Iraq — a region substantially underrepresented in the global DM–COVID-19 literature. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across healthcare facilities in Nasiriyah City from 2023 to 2024. A total of 150 hospitalized adult patients carrying confirmed diagnoses of both COVID-19 and type …