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Creative Play Pedagogy, Leah M. Hedrick

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis serves as a primer text for creative play pedagogy, a new approach to teaching arts subjects. In accordance with the author’s teaching experience, this text is primarily concerned with the application of new pedagogical shifts to center creative play in the community college creative writing classroom.

Part One lays out a definition and rationale for creative play as a concept for teachers. The research outlined in this section illustrates how engagement with the arts benefits students’ mental-emotional and social well-being. Following this research, the author investigates barriers to creative play that exist in traditional pedadogies as well as …

Urbanization Affects Web Abundance And Aggregation Of A Funnel‑Weaving Spider, Agelenopsis Pennsylvanica (Agelenidae), Brandi J. Pessman, Madison Hays, Earl Agpawa, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Animals distribute themselves within habitats based on a variety of environmental conditions, including those impacted by urbanization. Suspected global declines in urban arthropod biodiversity have required that we examine how urban conditions affect the distribution of this ecologically important group. Throughout North America, funnel-weaving spiders (Agelenidae) are prevalent across urban habitats and actively choose sites to build webs. We compared Agelenopsis pennsylvanica abundance and distribution between two distinct urban habitats: an urban center (university campus) and an urban forest (city park). These urban habitats differed significantly in features like plant diversity and proximity to roads and highways. We searched along …

Optimal R&D Investment In The Management Of Invasive Species, William Haden Chomphosy, Dale T. Manning, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Stephan Weiler

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive alien species (IAS) threaten world biodiversity, ecosystem services, and economic welfare. While existing literature has characterized the optimal control of an established IAS, it has not considered how research and development (R&D) into new removal methods or technologies can affect management decisions and costs over time. R&D can lower the costs of control in a management plan and creates an intertemporal trade-off between quick but costly control and gradual but cheaper removal over time. In this paper, we develop and solve a continuous time dynamic optimization model to study how investment in R&D influences the optimal control of an …

United States National Aeronautics And Space Agency Response To The Office Of Science And Technology Policy Memo, 2022: Public Access (May 2023)

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

NASA response to OSTP memo, 2022: Public Access (May 2023)

A Multi-Case Examination Of Leadership Development Programs For Emerging Educational Leaders In K–12 School Districts, Jason Thomsen

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In recent years, a greater emphasis has been placed on leadership development programs across a wide array of sectors in an effort to improve organizations. A growing body of research indicates that strong educational leadership practices have the ability to impact virtually all aspects of a school system. What is less evident in the research is how K-12 school districts utilize leadership development programs and make decisions regarding the implementation of those programs in order to cultivate educational leaders. The purpose of this multi-case study was to examine how K-12 school districts utilize leadership development programs and the role that …

The Evaluation Of Encapsulated Megasphaera Elsdenii In An Accelerated Beef Step-Up Program And An Acidosis Challenge Model And The Evaluation Of Ramp Versus A Traditional Forage Grain Adaptation Strategy On Methane And Respired Carbon Dioxide, Cindy D. Mansfield

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A metabolism experiment (Exp 1) was conducted to evaluate daily feeding of encapsulated Megasphaera elsdenii (M. elsdenii) NCIMB 41125 along with a one-time drench of 1×10¹¹ CFU of M. elsdenii on dry matter intake (DMI), in-vitro lactate utilization, volatile fatty acid (VFA), and lactate concentration. Treatments consisted of steers which were fed no M. elsdenii (CONTROL), steers drenched with the commercial dose 1×10¹¹ CFU of M. elsdenii (LactiproNXT) on d 1 of the experiment and received no other M. elsdenii (DRENCH), and steers drenched with a commercial dose of LactiproNXT on d …

The Effects Of Telehealth On Access To Palliative Care In Rural Communities, Ryleigh Hanson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Patients with serious and life-limiting illnesses are in need of palliative care which allows for both the patient and their family to learn how to live a relatively quality life in spite of their illness. Current access to palliative care is limited to urban areas leaving those in rural communities to face their illness without proper care. To understand why these limitations exist and to determine possible solutions, several articles were analyzed that focused on the benefits and stigmas of palliative care, why rural communities struggle to gain access to palliative care, and if telehealth is a possible solution to …

Lululemon Athletica Inc. Backhaul Strategic Audit, Hadley Hiatt

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is an athletic apparel company headquartered in Canada. Lululemon targets consumers who strive to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Its business model is based on the “Power of Three x 2” focusing on three strategic pillars, product innovation, guest experience, and international expansion. This analysis seeks to understand Lululemon’s face paced growth and unique business strategy through the use of a PESTEL analysis of macro environment, Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the competitive environment of the industry, analyzing the company’s strategy, major strategic objectives, competitive advantages, resources that may lead to a sustainable competitive advantage, and …

Lululemon Athletica Strategic Audit, Nolan T. Rinn

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is principally a designer, distributor, and retailer of technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories with a vision to create transformative products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all (Lululemon). This paper will examine Lululemon to understand its market position and competitiveness within the athletic apparel industry. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry Lululemon operates in.

Diageo Strategic Audit: A Deep Dive Into The Management Strategies Of Diageo, Hailey Hoogers, Maria Alessandro, Joel Myers, Abigail Grimm, Harrison Gates

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Diageo is a multinational premium drink producer and supplier with over 200 brands and sales in over 180 countries. A conglomerate since its founding, Diageo controls and operates some of the world’s well-known and loved drinks, like Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Bailey’s, Captain Morgan, and Crown Royal. The firm is an industry leader in consumer insight, innovation and creativity, and sustainability efforts. Diageo believes pursuing sustainability, efficiency, and positive drinking allows them to compete, now and in the future. This audit analyzes the history, leadership, business model, mission, external environment, internal environment, core competencies, recent performance, competitive dynamics, business level …

Reducing Infiltration And Inflow In Small Collection Systems: Environmental, Economic, And Other Impacts, Andrew Hansen

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) and the collection systems (CSs) which feed them provide essential services to society by collecting sewage (aka wastewater), biologically treating it, and minimizing risks to human health as well as the impact of waste on the environment. However, as collection systems age, increasing infiltration and inflow (I/I) from groundwater and stormwater can negatively affect the system. I/I is often mitigated to reduce flow and eliminate other negative impacts to the system.

Ten total case studies, seven mechanical water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) and three lagoon facilities, were examined for the environmental, economic, and other impacts/benefits from …

Assessing The Performance Of High-Rap Mixtures Incorporating Crude Vegetable Oils And An Antioxidant From Mechanical, Environmental, And Economic Perspectives, Nitish R. Bastola

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Utilization of mixtures with high amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the pavement industry is limited because of the adverse effects of aged materials in recycled asphalt materials. To date, numerous approaches have been used to reduce the adversity of RAP in mixtures. One such approach is the use of recycling agents (RAs) from various sources, such as petroleum and bio-oil. However, the current need is to maximize the use of RAP by adopting a sustainable source of RAs. Therefore, this study uses two RAs based on vegetable oils (crude soybean oil and crude corn oil) with high-RAP mixtures …

Recycling Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Single-Use Plastics At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Jadyn Chasek

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Today, single-use plastics pose an issue in the world with pollution from improper disposal as well as from the manufacturing of single-use plastic products. There is a need for change, plastic products have begun to consume the planet and harm life on Earth. Many people look to college universities for an opportunity to change issues such as the overconsumption of single-use plastics. A college campus is the perfect environment to study what changes can be made to fix an issue as well as how to implement those changes. This study was conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where the undergraduate …

State Of Utah Et Al. V Walsh Et Al., Ethan Halman Gonzalez

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

To expand upon that, the State of Utah et al. wants to show the Department of Labor’s “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights” Rule proposed in December 2022, is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The suit argues that the Department of Labor (DOL) oversteps the APA—as under the APA, the Court “shall… hold unlawful and set aside agency action, findings, and conclusions” that are “in excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations,” or “arbitrary capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not …

Regenerative Agriculture: A Pathway For Addressing Nebraska’S Water Quality And Soil Degradation Challenges, Kjersten Hyberger

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

It is important to begin this thesis by acknowledging that the State of Nebraska is on stolen Native land. Furthermore, the University of Nebraska is a land-grant university that was ultimately given 89,920 acres of Native lands for the paltry sum of $11,194. To date, the University of Nebraska has benefited from a 51:1 profit ratio on the funds raised from its 1873 land grant, raising over $500,000 in endowment principle. I humbly acknowledge that the privilege of earning my degree at UNL came through the often violent and bloody displacement of multiple tribal nations (High Country News, 2020).

Blood Flow Regulates Atherosclerosis Progression And Regression, Morgan A. Schake

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Atherosclerosis is the most prevalent pathology of cardiovascular disease with no known cure. Despite the many systemic risk factors for atherosclerosis, plaques do not form randomly in the vasculature. Instead, they form around bifurcations and the inner curvature of highly curving arterial segments that contain so-called disturbed blood flow that is low in magnitude and multidirectional over the cardiac cycle. Conversely, straight, non-bifurcated arterial segments that contain moderate-to-high and unidirectional (i.e., normal) blood flow are protected from plaque development. Thus, blood flow is a key regulator of atherosclerosis that may be able to be leveraged to develop new therapeutics. Towards …

Crisis Legislation: Analyzing The Noble Quest Of The Paycheck Protection Program To Save Small Businesses, Patrick D.N. Perkins

Nebraska Law Review

In early 2020, the rapid global spread of the novel COVID-19 virus launched the United States, along with the rest of the world, into simultaneous health and financial crises. Emergency measures implemented to slow the spread of the virus also brought many sectors of the economy to a screeching halt. The U.S. Congress passed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill. As part of the bill, Congress established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a forgivable, lowinterest private loan program to specifically assist small businesses.

This Article is the first legal analysis of its kind to examine the successes …

Unemployment And Opioid-Related Mortality Rates In U.S. Counties: Investigating Social Capital And Social Isolation–Smoking Pathways, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Stephen A. Matthews

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We examine two mechanisms—social capital and sociobehavior—potentially linking unemployment rates to opioid-related mortality and investigate whether the mechanisms differ geographically by the pace of the opioid crisis. Applying path analysis techniques to 2015–2017 opioid-related mortality in U.S. counties (N = 2,648), we find that (1) high unemployment rates are not directly associated with opioid-related mortality rates; (2) high unemployment rates are negatively associated with social capital, and low social capital contributes to high opioid-related mortality; (3) high unemployment rates increase social isolation and the prevalence of smoking, which is positively related to opioid-related mortality; and (4) the pathways are stronger …

The Rise And Fall Of Daca: An Audio Series, Dulce Garcia

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The history of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, commonly known as DACA, is a tumultuous one. In 2012, when President Obama created DACA through an executive order it gave relief to hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to the United States as children without their knowledge, giving them a range of benefits like never before including a work permit, a social security number, protection from deportation, and others. Yet, these last ten years the program has stood on shaky grounds with constant court battles canceling, reinstating or partially rolling the program. This audio series will give a deep …

Energy Efficient Integrated Mems Neural Network For Simultaneous Sensing And Computing, Hamed Nikfarjam, Mohammad Megdadi, Mohammad Okour, Siavash Pourkamali, F. M. Alsaleem

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Biological systems seamlessly combine multiple functions in lightweight and energy-efficient structures. Such capability in synthetic structures would be desirable in numerous engineering applications such as aerospace, robotics and wearable devices. Here we report an integrated silicon-based structure configured to sense, perform different classification algorithms, and produce an action signal within the same physical layer. The algorithms are coded in the mechanical responses of the sensing elements of multiple coupled micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), simultaneously capturing acceleration measurements to produce an actuated signal. This all-in-one structure operates with zero circuitry and low power consumption. As a demonstration, we designed and fabricated a …

Sustainability In Selleck Food Court At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Maya M. Tanikawa-Brown, Chloe E. Hoover

UCARE: Research Products

Our project proposes practical solutions for reducing food waste and improving student perceptions of food sustainability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Our solutions are derived from undergraduate student survey responses and inspired by conversations with UNL Dining and Sustainable campus groups. We collected data from two hundred and six students and focused on students with meal plans who ate at Selleck Food Court. Within the qualitative response field, students could write suggestions for improvements to Selleck Food Court. These responses revealed common themes repeatedly raised by students who are passionate about and interested in dining sustainability, whether that is …

Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Native American Science Teachers Of The Great Plains: A Narrative Inquiry, Uma Ganesan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

The complicated history of the education of Native American children through U.S. government-sponsored practices has led to the elimination of the Native children’s sense of Indian identity, culture, and language (Noel, 2002). In addition, increased emphasis on standardization and high-stakes accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has resulted in less culturally responsive educational efforts and more Indigenous students left behind in school systems (Castagno & Brayboy, 2008). This has led to Indigenous students being underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields where they account for only 3% of STEM workers (Fry, Kennedy, & Funk, …

Comfort Club, Cecilia Duong, Kathy Ho

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

There are many cases where children are dependent or heavily reliant on a particular item, whether a blanket, plushie, or nightlight. Therefore, Comfort Club aims to create a safe space for children to develop connections with emotionally supportive items that can be taken home and continuously nurtured beyond the classroom. Students also experience the impact of positivity and appreciation within the school as they learn how to effectively work with others, receive optimistic statements from their club leaders, and place their creativity into projects catering to their plushies.

Career Interests, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

Career interests reflect individuals’ “trait-like preferences for activities, environments, and outcomes that motivate goal strivings and achievement” (Jones et al., 2020). Simply put, interests are a series of likes and dislikes that develop alongside one’s cognitive abilities and personality to shape human behavior (Jones et al., 2020; Low et al., 2005). Interests, thus, drive the amount of time and effort individuals spend acquiring knowledge and abilities within a certain domain and their pursuit of educational and career goals (Jones et al., 2020). According to vocational choice theory, individuals tend to seek work that aligns with their interests, and when this …

You Never Really Leave, John Kuligowski

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

YOU NEVER REALLY LEAVE is a thesis which consists in a critical introduction that broadly explores my experience of creating a short story collection, as well as the ensuing collection of five short stories. The critical introduction examines the form and content of the following stories, as well as the influences that have been instrumental to my writing. It furnishes details about themes and subject matter which have been consistent in my fiction thus far, and it depicts some of the motivations behind it. The stories themselves range from a realist mode to what has been labeled by other writers …

A Deep Learning Framework For Processing And Classification Of Hyperspectral Rice Seed Images Grown Under High Day And Night Temperatures, Víctor Díaz-Martínez, Jairo Orozco-Sandoval, Vidya Manian, Balpreet K. Dhatt, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A framework combining two powerful tools of hyperspectral imaging and deep learning for the processing and classification of hyperspectral images (HSI) of rice seeds is presented. A seed-based approach that trains a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) using the full seed spectral hypercube for classifying the seed images from high day and high night temperatures, both including a control group, is developed. A pixel-based seed classification approach is implemented using a deep neural network (DNN). The seed and pixel-based deep learning architectures are validated and tested using hyperspectral images from five different rice seed treatments with six different high temperature …

The Inherited Intestinal Microbiota From Myeloid-Specific Zip8ko Mice Impairs Pulmonary Host Defense Against Pneumococcal Pneumonia, Derrick R. Samuelson, Deandra R. Smith, Kelly C. Cunningham, Sabah Haq, Daniel N. Villageliú, Christi Christi Ellis, Niaz Bahar Chowdhury, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Jeff Price, Daren L. Knoell

Food for Health: Publications

Intestinal dysbiosis increases susceptibility to infection through the alteration of metabolic profiles, which increases morbidity. Zinc (Zn) homeostasis in mammals is tightly regulated by 24 Zn transporters. ZIP8 is unique in that it is required by myeloid cells to maintain proper host defense against bacterial pneumonia. In addition, a frequently occurring ZIP8 defective variant (SLC39A8 rs13107325) is strongly associated with inflammation-based disorders and bacterial infection. In this study, we developed a novel model to study the effects of ZIP8-mediated intestinal dysbiosis on pulmonary host defense independent of the genetic effects. Cecal microbial communities from a myeloid-specific Zip8 knockout mouse …

The Effects Of Anchor Schemes On Performance Fatigability, Neuromuscular Responses And The Perceived Sensations That Contributed To Task Termination, Robert Smith, Terry J. Housh, Jocelyn E. Arnett, John Paul V. Anders, Tyler J. Neltner, Dolores G. Ortega, Richard J. Schmidt, Glen O. Johnson

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The present study examined the effect of anchor schemes on the time to task failure (TTF), performance fatigability, neuromuscular responses, and the perceived sensations that contributed to task termination following the sustained, isometric forearm flexion tasks. Eight women completed sustained, isometric forearm flexion tasks anchored to RPE = 8 (RPEFT) and the torque (TRQFT) that corresponded to RPE = 8. The subjects performed pre-test and post-test maximal isometric contractions to quantify performance fatigability and changes in electromyographic amplitude (EMG AMP) and neuromuscular efficiency (NME). In addition, the subjects completed a post-test questionnaire (PTQ) to quantify the contributions of perceived sensations …

Dataset Of Rna-Seq Transcriptome Of The Fetal Liver At Day 83 Of Gestation Associated With Periconceptual Maternal Nutrition In Beef Heifers, Wellison J.S. Diniz, Alison K. Ward, Kacie L. Mccathy, Cierrah J. Kassetas, Friederike Baumgaertner, Lawrence P. Reynolds, Pawel P. Borowicz, Kevin K. Sedivec, James D. Kirsch, Sheri T. Dorsam, Tammi L. Neville, J. Chris Forcherio, Ronald Scott, Joel S. Caton, Carl R. Dahlen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Herein, we present a dataset based on the RNA-Seq analysis of liver tissue from bovine female fetuses at day 83 of gestation. The findings were reported in the main article, “Periconceptual maternal nutrition affects fetal liver programming of energy- and lipid-related genes”[1] . These data were generated to investigate the effects of periconceptual maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation and rates of body weight gain on the transcript abundance of genes associated with fetal hepatic metabolism and function. To this end, crossbred Angus beef heifers ( n = 35) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × …

Divergent Metabolic Changes In Rhizomes Of Lowland And Upland Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum) From Early Season Through Dormancy Onset, Nathan A. Palmer, Gautam Sarath, Michael J. Bowman, Aaron J. Saathoff, Serge J. Edmé, Robert B. Mitchell, Christian M. Tobias, Soundararajan Madhavan, Erin D. Scully, Scott E. Sattler

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

High-biomass-yielding southerly adapted switchgrasses (Panicum virgatum L.) frequently suffer from unpredictable winter hardiness at more northerly sites arising from damage to rhizomes that prevent effective spring regrowth. Previously, changes occurring over the growing season in rhizomes sampled from a cold-adapted tetraploid upland cultivar, Summer, demonstrated a role for abscisic acid (ABA), starch accumulation, and transcriptional reprogramming as drivers of dormancy onset and potential keys to rhizome health during winter dormancy. Here, rhizome metabolism of a high-yielding southerly adapted tetraploid switchgrass cultivar, Kanlow—which is a significant source of genetics for yield improvement—was studied over a growing season at a northern …