Digital Commons Network^™

Utilizing Chemical Mutagenesis To Determine U21 Mechanism Of Action In Toxoplasma Gondii, Andrew Pham

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The abstract has been removed to protect intellectual property of the project.

Design, Construction, And Characterization Of A Low-Cost Spectrometer With Interchangeable Parts, Jack Godek

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

A low-cost spectrometer was designed for the purpose of teaching spectroscopy. The spectrometer can be built by the student and contains interchangeable pieces such as slit width, grating, and lenses. This will allow the student to understand how changing these variables effects resolution. The spectrometer was constructed from PVC pipe, a plastic electrical box, and a USB webcam. The actual resolution of the spectrometer is close to the theoretical value, depending on which lens and grating is used. In addition, an extra piece can be added that allows absorption spectra to be collected. Having the student piece together the spectrometer …

What Is The Most Threatening Disaster To The Continental United States?, Aaron Spomer, Elijah Kaufman, Julisa Prieto-Garcia, Brooke Aschwanden

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Our goal for our project is to fully understand which natural disaster is the most destructive to the United States. We have chosen to compare hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, and nor’easters. We have researched the cost of the total damage and repair, how the warning systems have improved over time, the death tolls from each, and also the frequency at which each one occurs. Each group member will research a different disaster impact, and the data will create a comprehensive view of the level of devastation each disaster has. We collected data all the way from the early 1900s …

Sometimes A Joke Is Not Just A Joke: Examining The Role Of Humor On Police Officers’ Workplace Experiences, Rachael Rief

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Masculinity is pervasive in the field of policing, present in both the culture and organizational structure. As women continue to represent a low number of all sworn law enforcement officers, research has begun considering how culture and structural conditions interact with gender to affect women’s experiences in policing. This research suggests that many informal and formal practices in police culture, including the use of gendered jokes or sexist humor, work to exclude women and highlight the importance of gendered aspects of the job. However, little research has explored the extent to which humor and joking behavior explicitly interacts with women’s …

Mapping Core Processes Of Creativity To Teams: The Development Of A Behavioral Coding Scheme, Salvatore Leone

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The study of creativity is of particular interest to modern organizations competing in a dynamic environment. Creativity is defined as the generation of novel ideas, solutions, and products that are both high quality and highly original (Amabile, 1996). Quality refers to the usefulness of the proposed idea, while originality refers to the uniqueness of an idea, and both standards must for high creativity (Mumford & Gustafson, 1988; Runco & Jaeger, 2012). Reviewing conceptualization of creative models, three core processes emerge: problem construction, idea generation, and idea evaluation. While much is known about how the three core processes operate at the …

Juvenile Hormone Mediation In An Insect With Parental Care Behavior, Jessica M. Rodino

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Juvenile hormone (JH) is a well-known catalyst for hormonal processes in insects. However, the role of JH in insects that exhibit parental behavior is unknown. We investigated the influence of JH on parental behavior in the burying beetle (Nicrophorus orbicollis). In the first experiment, we manipulated the JH production of females via the administration of varying doses of fluvastatin sodium immediately following oviposition. We found that with increasing fluvastatin dosage, the total mass of offspring and number of offspring decreased while at the same time less of the food source was consumed. These results suggest a link between …

Teacher Perceptions During The Candidacy Phase Of The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Nicole Beins

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of educators during the candidacy phase of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme in a suburban Midwest school. The methodology was comprised of a two-phase research design. During Phase 1, participants responded anonymously through written narrative responses via electronic questionnaire. This data was analyzed for common themes. After initial data analysis, focus group questions were generated using the findings of common themes to ask focus groups what strengths and challenges were faced during the implementation phase of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. The goal of this research was to gain insight on …

Lessons Learned From Designing A Health Monitoring System To Improve First Responders Safety User Interface, Janaki Devi Naveena Akula, Jackson Urrutia, Hitesh Kumar Khatri, Anusha Manda, Jacob C. Grothe

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Every day, first responders put their own lives at risk to help individuals, families, and communities. They experience many safety and health hazards on the front-line that can lead to injuries, chronic illnesses, and even death. Chronic illnesses include cancer, heart diseases, and behavioral health issues that often cause first responders life expectancy to be significantly shortened.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were 64 on-duty firefighter deaths in 2018. Sudden cardiac death accounted for about 40% of the on-duty fatalities. During 2017, there were an estimated 44,530 documented exposures to hazardous conditions (e.g. chemicals, fumes, radioactive materials) …

The Effect Of Sensory Input On The Temporal Structure Of Center Of Pressure In Stroke Survivors, Samantha Chong

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Stroke is the leading cause of disability that affects 17 million people worldwide. Patients post-stroke suffer from maintaining balance because the brain may not be able to receive or process visual, vestibular and proprioceptive sensory information: all of which contribute towards maintaining stability. Information provided by vision is important for spatial orientation, as it develops an environmental perspective. Proprioception is detected through the stretching of tendons and surrounding tissue and is able to help the brain determine spatial location. The vestibular system provides a sense of balance detecting rotations and linear accelerations through the vestibulo-ocular reflex. The vestibular system is …

Is There A Gender Bias In Creative Evaluations?, Payge Ehrp, Nadine Maliakkal

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Creativity has become an increasingly important skill in today’s world. Because society increasingly values creativity, it is critical that women and men are evaluated equally in terms of their creative output. Unfortunately, previous research indicates that men tend to be perceived as more creative compared to women. The present study investigates this phenomenon further by examining whether participants view the same exact ideas as more creative when they come from a man compared to when they come from a woman. To test our hypothesis, participants will be given a vignette scenario that poses an ambiguous problem. Participants will be given …

Is The Relationship Between Early Life Stress And Attachment Modulated By Dna Methylation Of The Oxytocin Receptor Gene?, Lidia Boghean

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Early life stress (ELS) has been linked to endocrine dysregulation, insecure attachment styles, and adult psychopathology. The enduring effects of ELS are likely regulated by epigenetic mechanisms in which the environment influences gene transcription and protein expression. We investigated oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) methylation as a potential underlying mechanism by which early life stress affects stress reactivity and attachment later in life in a dog model system. 47 dog-owner dyads were grouped by dog early life history (ELS and non-ELS) and provided blood and saliva samples. Dyads participated in a behavioral attachment paradigm. ELS dogs showed increased methylation at one …

Quantitative Analysis Of Sexual Function In Women Up To 1-Year Postpartum, Amber Kelly

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Background. Sexual satisfaction is a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction and a component of general well-being. Changes in sexual behavior are common during pregnancy and the subsequent transition to parenthood. Currently, little literature exists that examines the breadth of factors contributing to decreased female sexual functionality during the postpartum period. Identifying factors associated with decreased female sexual function following childbirth has the potential to improve postpartum women’s sexual satisfaction and overall quality of life. The study seeks to answer the following research questions: RQ 1: What impact has childbirth had on frequency of sexual activity in women within the first …

Comparing Individual Perceptions Of Food Desert With Quantitative Measures In Omaha, Nebraska., Hector N. Samani, Bradley Bereitschaft

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Food deserts have been linked to an increase in chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, due to lower access to affordable and healthy foods. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlines various methods and variables for defining food deserts, in attempts to standardize what constitutes a food desert or their characteristics. The USDA identifies the state of Nebraska as having both rural and urban food deserts, with an increase of food insecurity from 1.1% – 3.0% between 2007 and 2012 and warns of further increase of food deserts and its impact if measures are not taken. However, there …

Unintended Pregnancy Among The Lgbtq+ Population, Kenna M. Barnes

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Unintended births are related to adverse health outcomes for both parents and children (Mosher, et al., 2012). For the context of this research, unintended will include both mistimed (too early) and unwanted (wanted to avoid pregnancy) pregnancies. Non-heterosexual women, defined as anyone who has same-sex sexual behaviors, attractions, or identities, make up about 5.1% of the population according to Williams Institute (2019). The impact of unintended pregnancy among non-heterosexual individuals is not well understood, creating large disparities in the community. This has manifested in emotional, physical, and social wellness gaps compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Buchmueller & Carpenter, 2010; Everett …

Concussion, Anthony Shadiack

Sports Medicine

No abstract provided.

Expanding Your Customer Base To Low-Income Populations: Snap Basics & Marketing, Regan Emmons, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Brain Mccann

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

Full representation of a community shopping at farmers markets, farm stands or belonging to a community supported agriculture (CSA) program entails reaching low-income community members. Farmers markets, farm stands, and CSA models that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and offer SNAP incentive programs, such as Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), are emerging to help low-income individuals access local products. They also connect growers with new customers. This workshop will provide research-based information on 1. strengthening your marketing techniques, 2. benefits of accepting SNAP and incentives, like DUFB, and 3. how market managers, farm stands, and CSA growers might …

Seek And Find: Tips On Exploring Stem Journal Evaluation & Metrics, Sandy Avila, Sarah A. Norris

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Presentation & Discussion on journal evaluation and metrics for the UCF Faculty Center for Teaching & Learning Cohort: Writing Your STEM Journal Article in 12 Weeks.

Taking Your Teaching To The Next Level Through The Use Of Oer, Nicole N. Williams

Publications and Research

Faculty creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources (OER) can be used to enrich every aspect of the professor-student teaching relationship. Adding to the body of OER available allows faculty to rethink every aspect of what they teach and refine how they present that information. Having the ability to edit and adapt existing OER provides faculty with the benefits of collaboration, but without the scheduling concerns that often plague collaborative efforts. OER creation can be as simple as licensing handouts and presentation slides for sharing, or as involved as redesigning an entire course. Putting one’s own stamp on OER …

Changing Student's Attitudes About Rape Myths, Daniel J. Salois

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Experts in in the social sciences largely agree that myths about rape pose a threat to victims. Rape myths are stereotypic thinking in regard to rape that serves to not only blame victims, but acquit perpetrators (Burt 1980). Rape myth acceptance is also correlated with rape proclivity, some authors suggest that higher acceptance of rape myths may go hand in hand with a certain readiness to commit atrocious violence (Bohner, Jarvis, Eyssel, and Siebler, 2005). Common rape myths include beliefs that the way women act or dress indicates she was asking for sex. Another example is that men cannot control …

Alas Poor Yorick: A Dna Analysis Of Ancestry Using Crania, Claire Hanson

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

The forensic database FORDSIC 3.1 is utilized by anthropologists to sort individuals into an ancestral group based off a set of metric measurements. While useful, this database is prone to error as it does not account for the wide array of cranial variation found within populations. This research aims to address this error by comparing the mitogenome sequence/haplogroups of 6 remains found in the University of Montana Forensic Collection to FORDSIC assessments of the remains.

The Evolution Of Foliate Bifaces In Northwest North America, Megan Denis

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Foliate or leaf-shaped bifacial tools are widely distributed through time and space in the Pacific Northwest region. Despite a number of previous studies, we still know little concerning the development and persistence of variation in these tools. This study applies phylogenetic analysis to collections of leaf-shaped bifacial tools from six archaeological sites from the Pacific Northwest. Phylogenetic analysis is a useful tool for studying cultural macroevolution, in this case, the pattern and process of descent with modification in tool manufacturing systems. The sites chosen for this study span the last ten thousand years and extend from southeast Alaska to northern …

Inter-Site Evidence Of Social Inequality In The Middle Fraser Canyon, British Columbia, Rebekah J. Engelland

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

The archaeological record of the Middle Fraser Canyon provides abundant evidence of social inequality. While inequality in this region is typically identified on an intra-site basis, it has rarely been examined using inter-site data. By pulling together evidence from three different sites, it is possible to see a pattern of households with differential access to resources including food and prestige items.

Located in south-central British Columbia, the Middle Fraser Canyon is home to a wide variety of environments. The sites being considered here were pithouse villages. A pithouse is a semi-subterranean structure where a pit is dug and then a …

Fish On Fluoxetine: Before, During, And After, Susan Greene

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Wastewater pollution contaminating surface waters has become a concern all over the world, even in places humans don’t permanently live. These contaminants come from a variety of chemicals, such as anti-depressants, and the effects vary between species. Unfortunately, methods for extraction of these chemicals from wastewater are not economical and cheaper alternatives are still being developed. This has led to an increase in chemicals in surface water, with antidepressants increasing 400 percent in recent decades. This increase in chemicals in surface water could have impacts on the creatures inhabiting the polluted water. Few studies have been conducted on what impact …

Use Of Electrotherapy To Facilitate Post- Exercise Muscle Recovery And Perceived Soreness, Tyler Hansen, Madie Siebenaler, Nick Costa

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Context: Electrical stimulation is often used to modulate pain and facilitate recovery following injury. However, research is inconclusive regarding the use of electrical stimulation as a means of performance recovery. The purpose of this study was to determine if electrical muscle stimulation following exercise was effective in reducing perceived soreness and improving muscle recovery. Our hypothesis was that the higher intensity protocol would decrease muscle soreness, relative to a low intensity protocol.

Methods: A repeated measures design was used for this study, whereby a non-random sample of 7 subjects (4 males, 3 females) participated in two trials (average age 22.3 …

Acute Depressive Symptoms Post-Concussion: A Systematic Review, Katherine Berglund

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Context: Athletes who sustain an injury may experience depression, anxiety, tension, fear, and low self-esteem due to being taken out of their sport and changing their daily activities. These acute and chronic emotional or mood disturbances are common and highly studied in concussion patients; however, acute consequences of concussions are not as well understood. This review will seek to clarify the understanding of acute mood disturbances and depressive symptoms post-concussion in a physically active population based on the current available literature. This will provide information for healthcare providers to use in athletes’ return to play decisions and follow-up care post-concussion. …

Preliminary Investigation Of An Aphasia-Friendly Version Of The Phq-8 Compared To Other Patient And Proxy Reported Outcome Measures Of Depression, Kaylee Walter

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background & Significance: Persons with aphasia (PWA) experience post-stroke depression more frequently than stroke survivors who do not have aphasia. This increased depression has been attributed to the similarities in lesion locations that lead to aphasia and lesion locations that lead to depression. Currently no patient reported outcome measures that screen for depression have been created specifically for PWA or modified to be aphasia friendly for PWA. The purpose of this preliminary study is to modify the Patient Health Questionnaire- 8 (PHQ-8) to an aphasia friendly format and to assess the feasibility of administering the modified assessment compared to other …

Time To Return-To-Play Post Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction In Female Soccer Players: A Systematic Review, Lucas Bonnevie

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Context: Compared to men, female athletes are up to ten times more likely to rupture their anterior cruciate ligament while playing soccer, a major stabilizer in the knee. These athletes undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and return-to-play (RTP) rehabilitation protocols; however, previous research on RTP has been limited to addressing individual underlying factors. This systematic review aims to use a more holistic approach and provide insights on which factors affect the overall RTP timeframe of female soccer athletes post ACLR, and in turn provide healthcare professionals with more certainty in return-to-play timeframes in female soccer players. Methods: A systematic …

Concurrent Session 3: Bringing Student Work Into The Open: Open Pedagogy In Action, Shelley Rose, Adrienne Gosselin, Lisa Bernd, Mandi Goodsett

Open Access Events

No abstract provided.

Montana And The Backwater Of Birchism, Kristin Gates

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Clandestinely established in 1958 by candy tycoon Robert Welch after the death of Joseph McCarthy, the John Birch Society had a significant presence in Montana, particularly eastern Montana and the Bitterroot Valley, throughout the 1960s. Correspondence from this time between U.S. Senator Mike Mansfield and his Montana constituents is rife with examples of attempts by society members to root out the subversive communist plots that they saw existing in even the most routine elements of community life. Broadly, this paper will serve as an exploratory essay of the origins of the group in Montana. Anyone acquainted with the John Birch …

A New Classification System For Analyzing Burned Human Remains, Amanda Williams

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Fires can alter human remains in various ways; however, complete destruction of a human body by burning is impossible and skeletal remains can almost always be recovered. Fatal fires produce a range of physical alterations to the body, from blistering of soft tissue to the calcination of bones.Theses physical alterations leave patterns that can be studied and analyzed to interpret perimortem events. A variety of forensic professionals interact with and analyze these remains postmortem, which can lead to variation in how remains are described.

Currently, the forensic community lacks a consistent, objective, and detailed scale to describe burn injuries or …