Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Land Development In Small Communities On A People's Sense Of Place, Alivia Michalski

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Sense of place is an extensively researched concept that refers to the relationship (cultural, economic, societal, spiritual, and physical) between a person and their surroundings. Often a person’s sense of place, or connection to the land, can lead them to develop strong place attachment, or a human-place bond, with certain physical locations. Studies done on place attachment show that people with strong connections to natural areas where they live are more willing to demonstrate environmentally responsible behavior. This kind of behavior is important in the upcoming years, as communities begin to expand, develop more land, and use more resources. In …

A Comparison Of Modern Power: Environmental Impacts, Seth Adams

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

There are many aspects of environmental influences that must be considered when evaluating power production methods. Over the course of a six-month literature review this study covered the environmental impact and sustainability of four different power production methods: coal, solar, wind, and nuclear. This study then used the information gathered to create a set of criteria by which each would be evaluated. The goal of this study was to determine the power production method that would deliver the most energy with the least amount of environmental impact. Further, the scope of this study is limited to the midwestern states of …

Global Reach: Use Of The Nebraska Digital Commons In Developing Regions, Andrew Cano, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Developing countries comprise 40 percent of international downloads and 25 percent of all downloads from University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s institutional repository. This presentation will summarize the use of the Nebraska Digital Commons by representative countries in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa, the three regions where the most developing country downloads occurred in 2018. This summary includes the types of resources being downloaded and the types of organizations where the downloads occurred. Discussion will focus on how further research can be conducted on whether such use of the Nebraska Digital Commons by users in developing regions is …

Dimensions Of Surveillance, Prisoners Of The Planetary Panopticon, Mallory R. Lane

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

This project explores the Prisoners of the Planetary Panopticon. Surveillance no longer exists solely within an architectural scale, but has expanded to the urban, territorial, and planetary scale.

At the beginning of this thesis I began researching the contemporary issues of prisons and found that issues now extend far beyond the walls of the grounds. When comparing the architecture of Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon to today's society, what separates our exposed, surveilled bodies from those within the Panopticon Prison of the 1800's? This subject is relevant at a time when surveillance has taken over the city and created another spatial world …

Strategic Audit Of Spotify, Lauren Maciejewski

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Spotify is a music streaming platform that originated in Sweden. Since inception, it has found immense success in the music streaming industry. It has the largest market share compared to other major competitors, Apple and Amazon. In 2018, Spotify was able to turn a profit for the first time. Royalties on music content has prevented the company from reducing their cost of goods sold. In order to make a sustainable business model, Spotify has to adjust their business model to attract consumers to more profitable products.

When Research Is Relational: Supporting The Research Practices Of Indigenous Studies Scholars, Danielle Cooper

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

In 2017 Ithaka S+R launched a project to explore the changing research methods and practices of Indigenous Studies scholars across Canada and the US with the goal of identifying services to better support them in ways that are also beneficial to Indigenous communities more broadly. The project was undertaken by a cohort of research teams at 11 academic libraries with guidance from a group of advisors comprised of Indigenous scholars and librarians. Each research team in the cohort developed findings and next steps based on their local research engaging with Indigenous Studies scholars at their own institutions (listed in Appendix …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2019, 139th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Ninth Annual Meeting, April 12, 2019

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Chemistry and Physics

Teaching and Learning the Dynamics of Cellular Respiration Using Interactive Computer Simulations Workshop

Life After College: Building Your Resume for the Future Workshop

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: David Swanson

Anthropology

Applied Science and Technology

Earth Science

Environmental Sciences

Teaching of Science and Math

Tour The World Club, Joy Karges

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

This Tour the World club gives students the opportunity to interact with the world, other cultures, and people groups. Through six or seven different countries and many hands-on activities, students will learn what it means to keep an open mind, they will develop a curiosity for the world, and they will be encouraged to prioritize learning and asking questions over giving judgments when faced with something new.

Protocol Implementation Plan For Cave Water Quality Monitoring In The Northern Great Plains Network, Narrative Version 1.0, Isabel W. Ashton, Justin S. Mills, Marc Ohms, Daniel Austin, Michael Wiles, Kara Paintner-Green

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network includes thirteen park units located in five northern Great Plains states across six ecoregions. Two park units, Jewel Cave National Monument (JECA) and Wind Cave National Park (WICA), protect significant cave resources. These two caves are among the longest caves in the world and have an assortment of underground water resources ranging from drip sites to cave lakes. Subsurface water quantity and quality in the caves is a concern due to groundwater depletion and groundwater contamination from pesticides (aboveground applications), hydrocarbons (vehicle use and related activities), and wastewater effluent (sewage …

Textile Society Of America Newsletter 31:1—Spring 2019, Textile Society Of America

Textile Society of America: Newsletters

Letter from the President

TSA News:
Textiles Close Up: Andean Meets Anni in Chicago
R. L. Shep Ethnic Textile Book Award 2018 Nominees
Special Issue of JTDRP [Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice] Published
TSA Seeking a Newsletter Editor
International Report

In Memoriam: Sandra Alfoldy

TSA Symposium News
TSA Symposium 2020: Call for Submissions
Report from Student and New Professional Awardees

Book Reviews
The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results
Call for Submissions: Textile Month

Featured Exhibitions
Anni Albers
TSA Members at Fiberart International 2019
Contemporary Muslim Fashions

Member News

Editorial Matter: Jnchc 20:1 (Spring/Summer 2019)

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Frontmatter: Front cover, TP, CP, Contents, Call for Papers, Editorial Policy, Deadlines, Submission Guidelines

Backmatter: About the Authors, About the NCHC Monograph Series, NCHC Monographs & Journals, NCHC Publications Order Form, back cover

Being Honors Worthy: Lessons In Supporting Transfer Students, Carolyn Thomas, Eddy A. Ruiz, Heidi Van Beek, J. David Furlow, Jennifer Sedell

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

In the ever-growing discussion of how to build and support honors programs that reflect the diverse communities our institutions serve, the recruitment of transfer students has only recently been identified as a key avenue to enacting more equitable programs. Reflecting on four years of recruiting, enrolling, and graduating transfer students in the University Honors Program at the University of California, Davis, we push the conversation beyond how to welcome transfer students in honors to how to meaningfully support them. We present the initial findings of our ongoing self-assessment to stimulate discussion about the unique challenges and opportunities transfer students experience …

Defining, Measuring, And Applying Soil Quality: An Unresolved Debate, Salvador Ramirez Ii

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Paradigm shifts occur periodically in the sciences. Proposed paradigm shifts offer opportunities to reexamine extant paradigms and evaluate new ones. Soil science experienced a controversy resembling a proposed paradigm shift in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it grappled with the idea of soil quality (SQ). The most contentious points in the SQ debates were (1) the word “quality” itself and designing a functional definition, (2) identifying appropriate soil quality indicators, (3) the integration of soil quality indicators, and (4) the interpretation of soil quality indicators. The latter three disagreements were rooted in the established, fundamental, soil science paradigm. …

A Case Study Analysis Of Two Heavy Snowfall Events And Road Weather Implications In 2018 For Nebraska, Nancy Barnhardt

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Weather-related car accidents make up approximately a quarter of all crashes even though the amount of time during the year in which they can occur is minimal in comparison to fair weather day crashes. Maintenance Decision Support Systems (MDSS) were developed to help mitigate the number of crashes that occur during winter weather through improved operations along with reducing chemical usage. An MDSS uses weather information to recommend road treatments based on current and future weather conditions. To evaluate the limitations and capabilities of the Nebraska Department of Transportation Maintenance Decision Support System (NDOT-MDSS), case study analysis was performed on …

The Ecological Niche Of Echinococcus Multilocularis In North America: Understanding Biotic And Abiotic Determinants Of Parasite Distribution With New Records In New Mexico And Maryland, United States, Sebastian Botero-Cañola, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Sara E. Rácz, Parker V. Lowe, John E. Ubelaker, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

English abstract: Understanding the factors shaping the niche of parasites and its expression over geographical space and through time continues to be a modern scientific challenge with the results of research in this area directly influencing both theoretical and applied biology. This is especially important for proactive management of zoonotic parasites such as Echinococcus multilocularis, the etiologic agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Echinococcus multilocularis has a Holarctic distribution; with its geographic range and prevalence increasing recently in areas of the western Palearctic, while its distribution dynamics are poorly understood in the Nearctic. In this paper, we use an ecological niche …

Valuing Rural Dexterity: Experiential Funds Of Knowledge, Science Education, And Rural Kids, Amanda Morales

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

One’s sense of place is tied inextricably to one’s identity. Who we become as adults is closely connected to our interweaving of experience over time and how we come to understand the world and ourselves relative to it. Th ese informal and organic interactions within the specifi c environmental contexts of our childhoods can seem insignifi cant and inconsequential, particularly given that children’s imaginative explorations, informal investigations, and authentic observations of ecological phenomena present in their daily lives are oft en not acknowledged by or valued within formal educational settings. In this essay, I use Gonzalez, Moll, and Amanti’s (2005) …

Flow Alteration-Ecology Relationships In Ozark Highland Streams: Consequences For Fish, Crayfish And Macroinvertebrate Assemblages, Dustin Thomas Lynch, Douglas R. Leasure, Daniel D. Magoulick

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We examined flowalteration-ecology relationships in benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and crayfish assemblages in Ozark Highland streams, USA, over two years with contrasting environmental conditions, a drought year (2012) and a flood year (2013). We hypothesized that: 1) there would be temporal variation in flow alteration-ecology relationships between the two years, 2) flow alteration-ecology relationshipswould be stronger during the drought year vs the flood year, and 3) fish assemblages would show the strongest relationships with flow alteration. We used a quantitative richest-targeted habitat (RTH) method and a qualitative multihabitat (QMH) method to collect macroinvertebrates at 16 USGS gaged sites during both years. …

Field-To-Farm Gate Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Corn Stover Production In The Midwestern U.S., C. Rebecca Locker, Sarah Torkamani, Ian J. Laurenzi, Virginia L. Jin, Marty Schmer, Douglas L. Karlen

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Measured field data were used to compare two allocation methods on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from corn (Zea mays L.) stover production in the Midwest U.S. We used publicly-available crop yield, nitrogen fertilizer, and direct soil nitrous oxide emissions data from the USDA-ARS Resilient Economic Agricultural Practices research program. Field data were aggregated from 9 locations across 26 site-years for 3 stover harvest rates (no removal; moderate removal e 3.1Mg ha-1; high removal e 7.2Mg ha-1) and 2 tillage practices (conventional; reduced/no-till). Net carbon uptake by crops was computed from measured plant carbon content. Monte Carlo simulations sampled input …

Flow Alteration-Ecology Relationships In Ozark Highland Streams: Consequences For Fish, Crayfish And Macroinvertebrate Assemblages, Dustin T. Lynch, Douglas R. Easure, Daniel D. Magoulick

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We examined flowalteration-ecology relationships in benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and crayfish assemblages in Ozark Highland streams, USA, over two years with contrasting environmental conditions, a drought year (2012) and a flood year (2013). We hypothesized that: 1) there would be temporal variation in flow alteration-ecology relationships between the two years, 2) flow alteration-ecology relationshipswould be stronger during the drought year vs the flood year, and 3) fish assemblages would show the strongest relationships with flow alteration. We used a quantitative richest-targeted habitat (RTH) method and a qualitative multihabitat (QMH) method to collect macroinvertebrates at 16 USGS gaged sites during both years. …

Convergence Science In The Anthropocene: Navigating The Known And Unknown, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ana Carnaval

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

1. Rapidly changing ecological and social systems currently pose significant societal challenges. Navigating the complexity of social-ecological change requires ap- proaches able to cope with, and potentially solve, both foreseen and unforeseen societal challenges.

2. The emergent field of convergence addresses the intricacies of such challenges, and is thus relevant to a broad range of interdisciplinary issues.

3. This paper suggests a way to conceptualize convergence research. It discusses how it relates to two major societal challenges (adaptation, transformation), and to the generation of policy-relevant science. It also points out limitations to the further development of convergence research.

Unl Libraries Book Use By Broad Discipline (Social Sciences, Sciences, And Humanities): Circulations And Renewals: Books Acquired 2003/04 – 2007/08 Via Approval Plan Selection, Librarian Firm Order, And Ill Patron-Driven Acquisition, David C. Tyler, Brianna D. Hitt

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

On numerous occasions over the course of the UNL Libraries’ continuing discussions concerning the allocation of collections monies, the UNL Libraries’ liaison librarians have made a variety of assertions, arguments, and claims concerning their patrons and their patrons’ needs. For example, the humanities librarians have repeatedly staked a claim to the humanities’ being the “book” discipline and have made a variety of assertions concerning humanities patrons and humanities books that could be treated as testable hypothesis.

For example:

1) Humanities patrons use books more than do other disciplines’ patrons;

2) Humanities patrons use more books than do other disciplines’ patrons; …

Redescription Of Anaschisma (Temnospondyli: Metoposauridae) From The Late Triassic Of Wyoming And The Phylogeny Of The Metoposauridae, Bryan M. Gee, William G. Parker, Adam D. Marsh

United States National Park Service: Publications

Metoposaurids are non-marine temnospondyls that are among the most common constituents of Late Triassic deposits, but despite their abundance, the evolutionary relationships of the group are poorly resolved and have not been fully addressed with modern phylogenetic methods. The genus Anaschisma is one of a number of poorly resolved metoposaurid taxa and was erected to describe two species from the Popo Agie Formation (Carnian) in Wyoming: Anaschisma browni and Anaschisma brachygnatha. Since being named, the genus has been repeatedly synonymized and separated with other taxa in the context of broader revisions of the Metoposauridae. At present, Anaschisma is considered …

Celtic Tiger Ireland As A Case Study In The Practical Application Of Neoliberal Economic Policy, Natalie Sneed

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Celtic Tiger economic boom, which occurred in Ireland from approximately 1987 to 2009 has generally been considered one of the most remarkable economic turnarounds in any country in the modern era. My purpose in this project was to identify the primary causes and effects of such rapid and dramatic economic growth and development to determine whether it is sensible for other countries emerging from colonial rule to seek to emulate the Irish economic model. Through a review of the economic literature on the Irish economy in the last three decades, I identify Ireland’s implementation of a neoliberal economic policy …

Ten Myths Around Open Scholarly Publishing, Jonathan P. Tennant, Harry Crane, Tom Crick, Jacinto Davila, Asura Enkhbayar, Johanna Havemann, Bianca Kramer, Ryan Martin, Paola Masuzzo, Andy Nobes, Curt Rice, Bárbara R. López, Tony Ross-Hellauer, Susanne Sattler, Paul Thacker, Marc Vanholsbeeck

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

The changing world of scholarly communication and the emergence of ‘Open Science’ or ‘Open Research’ has brought to light a number of controversial and hotly-debated topics. Yet, evidence-based rational debate is regularly drowned out by misinformed or exaggerated rhetoric, which does not benefit the evolving system of scholarly communication. The aim of this article is to provide a baseline evidence framework for ten of the most contested topics, in order to help frame and move forward discussions, practices and policies. We address preprints and scooping, the practice of copyright transfer, the function of peer review, and the legitimacy of ‘global’ …

Reflecting On Efforts To Design An Inclusive Citizen Science Project In West Baltimore, Amanda E. Sorensen, Rebecca C. Jordan, Shannon L. Ladeau, Dawn Biehler, Sacoby Wilson, John-Henry Pitas, Paul T. Leisnham

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Citizen science (CS) has been an increasingly utilized means by which scientists leverage members of the public to increase the amount of data collected and analyzed. However, the underrepresentation of individuals from certain socio-cultural groups can have consequences that can manifest in the scientific outcomes of those CS projects such as biases in the data. Additionally, this underrepresentation can potentially affect long-term viability and support of CS as a community of practice. CS programs that promote greater inclusivity would likely provide opportunities for communities to define, investigate, and address pressing issues in collaboration with professional scientists. In this paper we …

Using Artificial Neural Networks To Predict Future Dryland Responses To Human And Climate Disturbances, C.E. Buckland, R.M. Bailey, D.S.G. Thomas

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Land degradation and sediment remobilisation in dryland environments is considered to be a significant global environmental problem. Given the potential for currently stabilised dune systems to reactivate under climate change and increased anthropogenic pressures, identifying the role of external disturbances in driving geomorphic response is vitally important. We developed a novel approach, using artificial neural networks (ANNs) applied to time series of historical reactivation-deposition events from the Nebraska Sandhills, to determine the relationship between historic periods of sand deposition in semi-arid grasslands and external climatic conditions, land use pressures and wildfire occurrence. We show that both vegetation growth and sediment …

The Future Of The Death Penalty In Nebraska: Utilizing Bruce Bueno De Mesquita's Predictioneer's Game To Create A Forecast Model Of Capital Punishment, Katie Andersen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis investigates the future of the death penalty in Nebraska with the goal of producing a forecast model of the issue utilizing Bruce Bueno De Mesquita’s Predicationeer’s Game software. Local and national politics are included to give a comprehensive idea of why Nebraska is in the hot seat in terms of capital punishment. Understanding the politics of the issue is vital to realizing the challenges of changing Nebraska’s policy on capital punishment and further explains the conflicted history between key players in the state.

The Predictioneer software requires input data of key players’ positions on the issue, influence, salience, …

Development And Validation Of The Policies, Opportunities, Initiatives And Notable Topics (Points) Audit For Campuses And Worksites, Tanya M. Horacek, Marlei Simon, Elif Dede Yildirim, Adrienne A. White, Karla P. Shelnutt, Kristin Riggsbee, Melissa D. Olfert, Jesse Morrell, Anne E. Matthews, Wenjun Zhou, Tandalayo Kidd, Kendra Kattelmann, Geoffrey Greene, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah E. Colby, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Onikia Brown

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Workplace or campus wellness/obesity-prevention policies and initiatives can improve health. Research tools to assess worksite or campus policies/initiatives are scarce. Thus, the aim of this research is to develop and validate the policies, opportunities, initiatives, and notable topics (POINTS) audit. Methods: POINTS was developed and refined via expert review, pilot-testing, and field testing. Trained researchers completed a web-based review from a student-focus or employee-focus regarding 34 health-promoting topics for colleges. Each topic was evaluated on a 0–2 scale: 0 = no policy/initiative, 1 = initiatives, 2 = written policy. When a written policy was detected, additional policy support questions …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring At Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2018 Data Report, Isabel W. Ashton

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2018 at Scotts Bluff National Monument (SCBL) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Fire Ecology Program (NGPFire). This was the eighth year of combined monitoring efforts.

Crew members from NGPN visited eight long-term monitoring plots to collect data on the plant communities at SCBL. This work is part of a long-term monitoring effort designed to provide a better understanding of the condition of the vegetation community and how it changes over time. NGPN staff measured species richness, herb-layer height, native and non-native species abundance, …

Multivariate Analysis Of Hydrochemical Data For Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, And Surrounding Areas, Andrew J. Long, James B. Paces, William G. Eldridge

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota contain two of the six longest caves worldwide. These caves contain subterranean lakes that are important points of intersection between the water table of the Madison aquifer and the caves. During 2015 to 2017, several subterranean lakes were discovered in Jewel Cave, which previously was thought to be above the regional water table. The objectives of this study were to better understand the hydrology of the recently discovered subterranean lakes in Jewel Cave and to evaluate their relation or possible connection to similar lakes in Wind Cave. …