Digital Commons Network^™

Building Before: Community Resiliency As Emergency Management, Alexandria Rinne

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project seeks to address gaps in emergency preparedness education related to tornado response. Through an examination of current research about best practices for tornado emergency management response and an examination of the needs of FEMA Regions 7 and 8, the author has identified key strategies and stakeholders to increase positive outcome through building community engagement and resiliency. Three presentations were created for delivery to key community stakeholders—local government officials; non-governmental organizations, social networks, and associations; and individual private citizens. The project offers an overview of background research and provides presentation slide decks, scripts, and discussion guides, all created with …

Job Stress Moderates The Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Early Childhood Teachers' Emotion Dysregulation, Emily J. Starr

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Addressing the current crisis of early childhood (EC) teacher turnover is essential for supporting the development of young children. Teacher attrition remains a concern for policymakers globally, and in the United States, early childhood teachers frequently cite job stress and lack of support as reasons for leaving the field. For over 40 years, researchers who study childcare have been concerned about the consequences of work-related stressors. Even if these stressors do not result in turnover, EC teachers’ psychological well-being may be impacted, leading to increased emotion regulation difficulties and more frequent negative teacher-child interactions. Young children’s emotional development is significantly …

Cats Of Unl: An Investigation Into The Human-Feral Cat Relationships On A University Campus In Nebraska, Jacey Skoda

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), there exists a population of feral cats that is monitored and cared for by a group known as Husker Cats. As the cats wander the sidewalks and gardens of the university, they may appear non-threatening and pleasant to have around. However, a feral cat presence could have detrimental impacts on the surrounding ecosystem, property, and community. The first component of this project, a survey of individuals on UNL campus, ultimately seeks to understand what those in the UNL community know about the feral cats, how they feel about the feral cats, and how they …

Support Services And State Standardized Assessments For Homeless And High Mobility Youth: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Veronika Cummings

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

For the past decade, the number of homeless youth in the United States has drastically increased, with public schools now consistently serving over one million homeless students each year. Research spanning three decades has linked youth homelessness and poorer academic achievement. In addition to decreased academic achievement, homeless and highly mobile (HHM) youth are more likely to suffer from mental health issues, have a behavioral diagnosis, engage in high-risk behavior, be truant, abuse drugs and alcohol, and even face premature death. Because homelessness is also frequently misidentified as solely an urban problem, it often results in HHM youth being left …

Science Club, Danielle Gibson, Krista Andersen

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Honors After School program for elementary age children to engage with scientific principles. Students performed hands-on experiments to explore various STEM fields. Each weekly lesson consisted of a different concept to be learned or explored by early elementary aged students.

Climate Change, Site Formation, And Indigenous Use Of Coastlines In Barbuda, Isabel C. Rivera-Collazo, Sophia Perdikaris

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

This article explores the landscape dynamics at the island of Barbuda in the context of changing climate to understand (1) the environmental setting of indigenous settlements; (2) the impacts of current coastal processes; and (3) the potential threats moving forward toward increasing pressure of climate change. Focusing on the site of Seaview, on the east coast of Barbuda, we use geoarchaeological methods to reconstruct the ancient geomorphological setting, investigate changes post-abandonment, and identify the hazards faced under future sea-level projections. Our study shows that (1) sea level stabilization after the Mid-Holocene allowed the formation of coral reefs, seagrass beds and …

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 ×2 …

Reconfigurable Metatiles With Circular Maze-Like Space-Coiling-Based Acoustic Metastructure For Low-To-Mid Frequency Sound Attenuation, Sanjay Kumar, Heow Pueh Lee

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This study presents a compact, lightweight, and reconfigurable acoustic metatile for sound mitigation applications. The metatile prototype is designed based on a circular maze-like acoustic metastructure, which utilizes a space-coiling technique for enhanced acoustic performance in low-to-mid frequencies. The proposed labyrinthine acoustic metadisk structure comprises a central hollow front face sheet and two coiling-up backing cavities. Experimental results show that the metadisk has high absorption peaks of 0.81 and 0.75 at 574 and 1436 Hz, respectively, and exhibits high sound transmission loss (STL) values (≥25 dB) in separate wide frequency bands between 100–580 Hz and 820–1600 Hz. Based on the …

How Resilience Is Framed Matters For Governance Of Coastal Social-Ecological Systems, Sarah Clement, Javad Jozaei, Michael Mitchell, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Effective governance of social-ecological systems (SES) is an enduring challenge, especially in coastal environments where accelerating impacts of climate change are increasing pressure on already stressed systems. While resilience is often proposed as a suitable framing to re-orient governance and management, the literature includes many different, and sometimes conflicting, definitions and ideas that influence how the concept is applied, especially in coastal environments. This study combines discourse analysis of the coastal governance literature and key informant interviews in Tasmania, Australia, demonstrating inconsistencies and confusion in the way that resilience is framed in coastal governance research and practice. We find that …

Photographs And Parent Training To Support Conversations About Past Events Between Caregivers And Children With Autism, Naima Bhana, Tracy J. Raulston, Ciara Ousley, Atikah Bagawan

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Objectives Children with autism spectrum disorder experience communication difficulties that can make it challenging to engage in conversations. Their caregivers also often struggle with finding ways to support the child’s communication. Parent-implemented interventions and visual supports are evidence-based practices to support the communication skills of children with autism.

Method A multi-method design (single-case multiple probe and qualitative) was used to evaluate the effects of family photographs, training, and telecoaching on parental implementation of communication strategies. Three parents and their children with and at risk for autism participated.

Results Results indicate that the use of photographs increased the communication strategies used …

Herbicide Drift Vs. Crop Resilience – The Influence Of Micro-Rates, Milan Brankov, Bruno Canella Vieira, Miloš Rajković, Milena Simić, Vukadinović Jelena, Violeta Mandić, Vesna Dragičević

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A greenhouse study was conducted to test the effects of low herbicide dose exposure on different crops measuring visible damages, plant height, leaf area, and dry matter. Seven crops were tested: lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cv. Novosadska majska maslena, oil pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch) cv. Olivija, oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) cv. NS Ras, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cv. Kurtovska kapija, soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) cv. ZP Laura, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cv. NS Kruna, and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. Dunavski Rubin. Herbicide dicamba in the range of 0.14 to 1 …

Fusarium Species Structure In Nebraska Corn, Yuchu Ma

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fusarium species are known to infect corn and cause significant yield losses and mycotoxin contamination worldwide. In this study, we investigated the diversity of Fusarium species infecting corn in Nebraska and their potential to produce fumonisins and trichothecenes. A total of 259 Fusarium isolates were collected from different corn tissues (ear, stalk, and root), revealing a significant association between the various Fusarium species complexes and different plant parts (p < 0.05). Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) was the most widespread and abundant, followed by the Fusarium sambucinum (FSAMSC) and Fusarium fujikuroi species complexes (FFSC). In the subsequent analysis, we investigated the mycotoxin …

The Rna Cargo In Small Extracellular Vesicles From Chicken Eggs Is Bioactive In C57bl/6j Mice And Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Ex Vivo, Deborah Fratantonio, Javaria Munir, Jiang Shu, Katherine Howard, Scott R. Baier, Juan Cui, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and their RNA cargo in milk are bioavailable in humans, pigs, and mice, and their dietary depletion and supplementation elicits phenotypes. Little is known about the content and biological activity of sEVs in foods of animal origin other than milk. Here we tested the hypothesis that sEVs in chicken eggs (Gallus gallus) facilitate the transfer of RNA cargo from an avian species to humans and mice, and their dietary depletion elicits phenotypes. sEVs were purified from raw egg yolk by ultracentrifugation and authenticated by transmission electron microscopy, nano-tracking device, and immunoblots. The miRNA profile …

“You Feel A Sense Of Accomplishment”: Outdoor Adventure Experiences Of Youths With Visual Impairments During A One-Week Sports Camp, Lauren J. Lieberman, Katie Ericson, Melanie Perreault, Pamela Beach, Kelsey Williams

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

There are many cognitive, physical, and social–emotional benefits for youths from participating in outdoor adventure activities. However, youths with visual impairments are not given the same opportunities to participate in outdoor adventure activities as their peers without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the outdoor adventure experiences of youths with visual impairments participating in a week-long sports camp. Thirty-seven youths with visual impairment (ages 9–19 years) attending a one-week sports camp participated in this study. Participants engaged in a variety of outdoor adventure activities throughout the week of camp (e.g., sailing, hiking, rock climbing, biking, kayaking). Participants …

Towards A Global Sustainable Development Agenda Built On Social–Ecological Resilience, Murray W. Scown, Robin K. Craig, Craig R. Allen, Lance Gunderson, David G. Angeler, Jorge H. Garcia, Ahjond Garmestani

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Non-technical summary. The United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) articulate societal aspirations for people and our planet. Many scientists have criticised the SDGs and some have suggested that a better understanding of the complex interactions between society and the environment should underpin the next global development agenda. We further this discussion through the theory of social–ecological resilience, which emphasises the ability of systems to absorb, adapt, and transform in the face of change. We determine the strengths of the current SDGs, which should form a basis for the next agenda, and identify key gaps that should be filled.

Technical …

A Ferritin Nanoparticle-Based Zika Virus Vaccine Candidate Induces Robust Humoral And Cellular Immune Responses And Protects Mice From Lethal Virus Challenge, Aryamav Pattnaik, Bikash R. Sahoo, Lucas R. Struble, Gloria E. O. Borgstahl, You Zhou, Rodrigo Franco, Raul G. Barletta, Fernando A. Osorio, Thomas M. Petro, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The severe consequences of the Zika virus (ZIKV) infections resulting in congenital Zika syndrome in infants and the autoimmune Guillain–Barre syndrome in adults warrant the development of safe and efficacious vaccines and therapeutics. Currently, there are no approved treatment options for ZIKV infection. Herein, we describe the development of a bacterial ferritin-based nanoparticle vaccine candidate for ZIKV. The viral envelope (E) protein domain III (DIII) was fused in-frame at the amino-terminus of ferritin. The resulting nanoparticle displaying the DIII was examined for its ability to induce immune responses and protect vaccinated animals upon lethal virus challenge. Our results show that …

Study Of Lipophilicity And Adme Properties Of 1,9-Diazaphenothiazines With Anticancer Action, Beata Morak-Młodawska, Małgorzata Jeleń, Emilia Martula, Rafał Korlacki

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Lipophilicity is one of the key properties of a potential drug that determines the solubility, the ability to penetrate through cell barriers, and transport to the molecular target. It affects pharmacokinetic processes such as adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME). The 10-substituted 1,9-diazaphenothiazines show promising if not impressive in vitro anticancer potential, which is associated with the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway connected with to induction BAX, forming a channel in MOMP and releasing cytochrome c for the activation of caspases 9 and 3. In this publication, the lipophilicity of previously obtained 1,9-diazaphenothiazines was determined theoretically using various computer programs …

Study Of Lipophilicity And Adme Properties Of 1,9-Diazaphenothiazines With Anticancer Action, Beata Morak-Młodawska, Małgorzata Jeleń, Emilia Martula, Rafał Korlacki

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Lipophilicity is one of the key properties of a potential drug that determines the solubility, the ability to penetrate through cell barriers, and transport to the molecular target. It affects pharmacokinetic processes such as adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME). The 10-substituted 1,9-diazaphenothiazines show promising if not impressive in vitro anticancer potential, which is associated with the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway connected with to induction BAX, forming a channel in MOMP and releasing cytochrome c for the activation of caspases 9 and 3. In this publication, the lipophilicity of previously obtained 1,9-diazaphenothiazines was determined theoretically using various computer programs …

Perspectives On Certification Of Community Health Workers: A Statewide Mixed-Methods Assessment In Nebraska, Jessica Ernmph1, Virginia Chaidez, Kate E. Trout, Kathy Karsting, Dejun Su

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objectives: While the Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce in the United States has been growing, so far only 19 states certify CHWs. This study sought to identify perspectives on CHW certification among stakeholders in Nebraska, a state that has not established official certification for CHWs yet.

Design: A concurrent triangulation mixed methods design.

Sample: Study data came from a survey of 142CHWs in Nebraska and interviews with 8 key informants employing CHWs conducted in 2019.

Methods: Logistic regression was used to identify significant factors associated with favoring CHW certification, supplemented by thematic analysis of qualitative data …

Healthcare Service Use, Help-Seeking Behaviors, And Health And Wellbeing In Attenuated Psychosis, Jasmine Ranjbari-Sisan, William D. Spaulding, Tierney K. Lorenz

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Persons with serious mental illness (SMI) receive poorer-than-standard healthcare, contributing to a 20-year reduction in the average life expectancy of persons with SMI. While extant literature describes the health disparities experienced by persons with SMI, little research examines the relationship between attenuated psychotic symptoms, healthcare service use, and help-seeking behaviors that may contribute to the disparities in this vulnerable population. This study explores the relationships between attenuated psychotic symptoms, physical health symptoms and related distress, healthcare service use, and help-seeking intentions to better understand health disparities in vulnerable and marginalized populations, such as individuals with SMI. Only a portion of …

Mitochondrial Complex Iii Bypass Complex I To Induce Ros In Gpr17 Signaling Activation In Gbm, Sana Kari, Jeyalakshmi Kandhavelu, Akshaya Murugesan, Ramesh Thiyagarajan, Srivatsan Kidambi, Meenakshisundaram Kandhavelu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) plays crucial role in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell signaling and is primarily associated with reactive oxidative species (ROS) production and cell death. However, the underlying mechanisms by which GPR17 regulates ROS level and mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes are still unknown. Here, we investigate the novel link between the GPR17 receptor and ETC complex I and III in regulating level of intracellular ROS (ROSi) in GBM using pharmacological inhibitors and gene expression profiling. Incubation of 1321N1 GBM cells with ETC I inhibitor and GPR17 agonist decreased the ROS level, …

Upregulation Of Cell Surface Glycoproteins In Correlation With Kshv Lana In The Kaposi Sarcoma Tumor Microenvironment, Sara R. Privatt, Owen Ngalamika, Jianshui Zhang, Qinsheng Li, Charles Wood, John T. West

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

HIV-associated epidemic Kaposi sarcoma (EpKS) remains one of the most prevalent cancers in sub-Saharan Africa despite the widespread uptake of anti-retroviral therapy and HIV-1 suppression. In an effort to define potential therapeutic targets against KS tumors, we analyzed previously published KS bulk tumor transcriptomics to identify cell surface biomarkers. In addition to upregulated gene expression (>6-fold) in the EpKS tumor microenvironment, biomarkers were selected for correlation with KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) expression. The cell surface glycoprotein genes identified were KDR, FLT4, ADAM12, UNC5A, ZP2, and OX40, as well as the endothelial lineage determinants Prox-1 and CD34. Each protein …

Application Of A Novel Lytic Jerseyvirus Phage Lpsent1 For The Biological Control Of The Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Enteritidis In Foods, Rashad R. Al-Hindi, Mona G. Alharbi, Ibrahim Alotibi, Sheren A. Azhari, Khloud M. Algothmi, Ahmed Esmael

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Non-typhoidal Salmonella is the tremendously predominant source of acquired foodborne infection in humans, causing salmonellosis which is a global threat to the healthcare system. This threat is even worse when it is combined with the incidence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains. Bacteriophage therapy has been proposed as a promising potential candidate to control a diversity of foodborne infective bacteria. The objective of this study designed to isolate and characterize lytic phages infecting zoonotic multi-drug resistant and strong biofilm producer Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis EG.SmE1 and then apply the isolated phage/s as a biocontrol agent against infections in ready-to-eat food articles including …

The Sars-Cov-2 Utr’S Intrudes Host Rbp’S And Modulates Cellular Splicing, Anjali Singh, Kush Kumar Pandey, Shubham Kumar Agrawal, Rupesh K. Srivastava, Sankar Bhattacharyya, Bhupendra Verma

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that causes a potentially fatal respiratory disease known as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and is responsible for the ongoing pandemic with increasing mortality. Understanding the host-virus interaction involved in SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology will enhance our understanding of the mechanistic basis of COVID-19 infection. The characterization of post-transcriptional gene regulatory networks, particularly pre-mRNA splicing, and the identification and characterization of host proteins interacting with the 5' and 3'UTRs of SARS-CoV-2 will improve our understanding of posttranscriptional gene regulation during SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that either SARS-CoV-2 infection or exogenous overexpression of the 5' and 3’UTRs of the …

Site-Specific Analysis Of The Incidence Rate Of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli Infection Elucidates An Association With Childhood Stunting, Wasting, And Being Underweight: A Secondary Analysis Of The Mal-Ed Birth Cohort, Md Ahshanul Haque, Sabiha Nasrin, Parag Palit, Rina Das, Barbie Zaman Wahid, Md. Amran Gazi, Mustafa Mahfuz, Abu Syed Golam Faruque, Tahmeed Ahmed

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Asymptomatic infection by fecal enteropathogens is a major contributor to childhood malnutrition. Here, we investigated the incidence rate of asymptomatic infection by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and assessed its association with childhood stunting, wasting, and being underweight among children under 2 years of age. The Malnutrition and Enteric Disease birth cohort study included 1,715 children who were followed from birth to 24 months of age from eight distinct geographic locations including Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Peru, Tanzania, Pakistan, Nepal, and South Africa. The TaqMan array card assay was used to determine the presence of ETEC in the nondiarrheal stool samples collected …

Evaluating Draft Epa Emissions Models For Laying Hen Facilities, Yijie Xiong, Guoming Li, Brett C. Ramirez, Robert T. Burns, Richard S. Gates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In August 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released draft models to estimate daily NH₃, H₂S, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and TSP emissions from egg-layer houses (high-rise and manure-belt) and manure storage using inputs of daily mean ambient temperature, relative humidity (RH), and hen inventory. These models were developed from refined datasets generated by the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study fieldwork completed in 2009. Notably, they do not include data for cage-free housing. Currently, 66% of U.S. laying hens are housed in cages; thus, these models, if adopted, will have a substantial impact …

Phys 142h

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Phys 422/822

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Tejiendo Historias, Construyendo Vidas: Un Capítulo Teotihuacano, Natalia Moragas Segura

Tejiendo imágenes. Homenaje a Victòria Solanilla Demestre

Este trabajo debe entenderse en el marco del Homenaje a la Dra. Victòria Solanilla visto desde mi punto de vista y con un toque personal comentando una parte de su recorrido académico y vital y los momentos en que nos cruzamos. Un capítulo teotihuacano que se focaliza en los años 2006-2008, con motivo de las investigaciones realizadas en el proyecto de colaboración científica impulsado por la Dra. Solanilla dentro del marco del Proyecto La Ventilla, Teotihuacan, bajo la dirección in situ del Mtro. Rubén Cabrera (INAH), y que sirve como excusa para hacer unos breves comentarios acerca de la problemática …

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Newsletter, Issue #62 Spring 2023

Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter: Newsletters

Nominating Members and Supporting Student Invitees, page 2

2022 Officer & Committees list, page 3

Nominate a Colleague for a Faculty Award or Membership! See: Award of Merit, page 4 & 5

Teaching Award, page 6 & 7

Research Award, page 8 & 9

Extension Award, page 10 & 11

Nominations for Membership, pages 12 & 13 ALL Nominations DUE Feb. 28th

Membership Dues info & form, pages 14-16

Graduate & Undergraduate Student Award Fund Info, page 17

In Memoriam, pages 18 & 19

Information, page 20