Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Perspectives Of Those With Severe Physical Impairments While Learning Bci Control Of A Commercial Augmentative And Alternative Communication Paradigm, Kevin Pitt, Jonathan S. Brumberg

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) techniques can provide access to communication for individuals with severe physical impairments. Brain–computer interface (BCI) access techniques may serve alongside existing AAC access methods to provide communication device control. However, there is limited information available about how individual perspectives change with motor-based BCI-AAC learning. Four individuals with ALS completed 12 BCI-AAC training sessions in which they made letter selections during an automatic row-column scanning pattern via a motor-based BCI-AAC. Recurring measures were taken before and after each BCI-AAC training session to evaluate changes associated with BCI-AAC performance, and included measures of fatigue, frustration, mental effort, …

Bovine Mammary Alveolar Mac-T Cells Afford A Tool For Studies Of Bovine Milk Exosomes In Drug Delivery, Mojisola Ogunnaike

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bovine milk exosomes (BMEs) have attracted attention as vehicles for delivering RNA therapeutics. BMEs originate in mammary alveolar cells. Here, we determined whether bovine mammary alveolar MAC-T cells are a promising tool to assess RNA delivery by BMEs. MAC-T cells exosomes (MAC-T BMEs) and BMEs were harvested by differential ultracentrifugation. Exosome size, morphology, microRNA content and marker proteins were assessed using nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, real-time PCR and immunoblot analysis, respectively. MAC-T cells were genetically engineered to secrete MAC-T BMEs endogenously labeled with a near-infrared fluorescent protein and tissue distribution was compared to fluorophore-labeled BMEs following intravenous injection …

Dynamical Variations Of The Global Covid-19 Pandemic Based On A Seicr Disease Model: A New Approach Of Yi Hua Jie Mu, Xia Wang, Gang Yin, Zengyun Hu, Daihai He, Qianqian Cui, Xiaomei Feng, Zhidong Teng, Qi Hu, Jiansen Li, Qiming Zhou

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more than 150 million cases of infection to date and poses a serious threat to global public health. In this study, global COVID-19 data were used to examine the dynamical variations from the perspectives of immunity and contact of 84 countries across the five climate regions: tropical, arid, temperate, and cold. A new approach named Yi Hua Jie Mu is proposed to obtain the transmission rates based on the COVID-19 data between the countries with the same climate region over the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Our results suggest that the …

Alcohol Use And History Of Traumatic Brain Injury In College Students: An Analysis Of Neuropsychological And Behavioral Factors, Jessie Tibbs

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Approximately 69,000,000 individuals sustain TBIs each year worldwide. Alcohol use is a known risk factor for TBI. Nearly 50% of individuals with TBI endorse binge drinking, alcohol-related negative consequences, or meet criteria for AUDs. One of the most pressing issues within the alcohol-TBI literature is predicting post-TBI alcohol-related problems, as this results in poorer recovery, rehabilitation, and functioning. Evidence for TBIs causing post-injury alcohol use in those without pre-injury problematic alcohol use is mixed; not all TBI survivors experience alcohol-related problems post-injury. Evidence is mounting that one of the most robust predictors of post-injury alcohol problems is childhood or adolescent …

Childhood Disadvantage, Social And Psychological Stress, And Substance Use Among Homeless Youth: A Life Stress Framework, Kimberly A. Tyler, Rachel M. Schmitz

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We used a life stress framework to examine linkages between distal or primary stressors (e.g., child abuse) and proximal or secondary stressors (e.g., street victimization) and their association with substance use among 150 youth experiencing homelessness in the Midwestern United States. Results revealed that numerous primary stressors such as number of times youth ran from home and number of foster care placements were associated with secondary stressors, such as anxiety, total duration of homelessness, and street victimization. Only street physical victimization (e.g., been beaten up since leaving home) was associated with greater substance use. Our findings provide a more holistic …

Ruminant Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: A Nutritional And Therapeutic Opportunity?, Siew Ling Ong, Cherie Blenkiron, Stephen Haines, Alejandra Acevedo-Fani, Juliana A.S. Leite, Janos Zempleni, Rachel C. Anderson, Mark J. Mccann

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Milk has been shown to contain a specific fraction of extracellular particles that are reported to resist digestion and are purposefully packaged with lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids to exert specific biological effects. These findings suggest that these particles may have a role in the quality of infant nutrition, particularly in the early phase of life when many of the foundations of an infant’s potential for health and overall wellness are established. However, much of the current research focuses on human or cow milk only, and there is a knowledge gap in how milk from other species, which may be …

A Smartphone App For Individual Xylazine/Ketamine Calculation Decreased Anesthesia-Related Mortality In Mice, Carlos Poblete Jara, Rodrigo S. Carraro, Ariane Zanesco, Beatriz Andrade, Karina Moreira, Guilherme Nogueira, Bruno L. Souza, Thais Paulino Prado, Valeria Povoa, William Velander, Licio A. Velloso, Eliana P. Araujo

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Currently, experimental animals are widely used in biological and medical research. However, the scientific community has raised several bioethical concerns, such as the number of animals required to achieve reproducible and statistically relevant results. These concerns involve aspects related to pain, discomfort, and unwanted animal loss. Retrospectively, we compare two different approaches for anesthesia dosage: a mobile app for dose calculation and a standard dose calculation. A total of 939 C57BL/6J and Swiss mice were analyzed. We collected data on intraoperative and anesthesia-related mortality as described in electronic or physical handwritten records. Our results showed that the mobile app approach …

Organizational Constraints, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are organizational constraints?

Organizational constraints are work conditions that interfere with an employee’s motivation or ability to perform (Spector & Jex, 1998). Though the overall definition sounds quite broad, the assessment focuses on 11 specific types of constraints: inadequate training, incorrect instruction, lack of necessary information about what to do or how to do it, poor equipment or supplies, lack of equipment or supplies, organizational rules and procedures, conflicting job demands, other employees, the supervisor, inadequate help from others, and interruptions by other people (Spector & Jex, 1998). Respondents indicate how frequently these factors make it difficult or impossible …

Methods , Systems , And Devices Relating To Surgical End Effectors, Shane M. Farritor, Thomas Frederick, Joe Bartels

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical device components , including components that can be incorporated into robotic and / or in vivo medical devices, and more specifically including end effectors that can be incorporated into such devices. Certain end effector embodiments include various vessel cautery devices that have rotational movement as well as cautery and cutting functions while maintaining a relatively compact structure. Other end effector embodiments include various end effector devices that have more than one end effector.

Oxygen Reactive Polymers For Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Parick S. Stayton, Menko P. Ypma, Peter A. Chiarelli, Joshua Sang Hun Park, Richard G. Ellenbogen, Julia Mengyun Xu, Pierre D. Mourad, Donghoon Lee, Anthony Convertime, Forrest M. Kievit

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Methods and compositions for treating traumatic brain injury . The methods and compositions utilize a multi - functional oxygen reactive polymer ( ORP ) that includes repeating units that include a reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) scavenging group and a polyalkylene oxide group . For theranostic applications , the oxygen reactive polymer fur ther includes a diagnostic group .

Reduced-Order Modeling Of Loosening In Bolted Joints And Dynamic Interactions Between Axially Aligned Threaded Joints, Sandro Aldana

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

Maintaining effective preload in bolted joints is critical for ensuring long-term performance and safety throughout the operation of any assembled structure. The loosening of bolted joints has been studied since the Industrial Revolution, but modeling approaches have only emerged over the past three decades. Although existing approaches are capable of simulating or predicting loosening in a single joint consisting of a single bolt, they are too computationally expensive to be used to model loosening in large structures consisting of many bolts. The objective of this thesis is to construct and employ a reduced-order modeling (ROM) approach that treats the internal …

Developing Pandemic Comics For Youth Audiences, Judy Diamond, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Judi M. Gaiashkibos, Bob Hall, Aaron Sutherlen, Julia Mcquillan

University of Nebraska State Museum: Staff and Affiliates, Publications

In spring 2020 our team received funding from the Rapid Response Research program of the National Science Foundation to develop comics that would help youth understand the COVID-19 pandemic. Our project built on a decade of expertise creating comics about the biology of viruses. In collaboration with virologists and artists, we developed three comic stories about COVID-19 during the pandemic and posted them on-line during the last half of 2020. The fictional narratives address fundamental issues in biology, virology, and network science, in order to help readers understand the complexities of living through a viral pandemic. The stories focus on …

Data From A Public–Industry Partnership For Enhancing Corn Nitrogen Research, C J. Ransom, J D. Clark, G M. Bean, C J. Bandura, M Shafer, N R. Kitchen, J J. Camberato, P R. Carter, R B. Ferguson, F G. Fernandez, D W. Franzen, C.A.M. Laboski, D B. Myers, E D. Nafziger, J E. Sawyer, J F. Shanahan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Improving corn (Zea mays L.) N management is pertinent to economic and environmental objectives. However, there are limited comprehensive data sources to develop and test N fertilizer decision aid tools across a wide geographic range of soil and weather scenarios. Therefore, a public-industry partnership was formed to conduct standardized corn N rate response field studies throughout the U.S. Midwest. This research was conducted using a standardized protocol at 49 site-years across eight states over the 2014 to 2016 growing seasons with many soil, plant, and weather related measurements. This note provides the data (found in supplemental files), outlines the data, …

Compliance With Hand Sanitizer Quality During The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic: Assessing The Impurities In An Ethanol Plant, Gabriel Cohen, Nathan Kreutzer, Katie M. Mowat, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Bruce I. Dvorak

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Using alcohol-based disinfectants is an effective method for preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, non-traditional manufacturers of alcohol-based disinfectants, such as ethanol plants, need to undergo additional treatment to curb their impurities to limits set by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) to produce alcohol-based disinfectants. To transform them to disinfectant-grade alcohol, 17 process streams in a dry-mill ethanol plant were analyzed to determine the quality parameters for acetaldehyde, acetal, propanol, methanol, and water, including chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and nutrients. Results suggest that the process stream generated by the distillation column requires further treatment because the acetaldehyde …

Thermal And Mechanical Analysis Of Bombyx Mori Silk Nanofibers, Justin Busnot

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

This thesis presents a study on the thermomechanical properties of Bombyx Mori silk nanofibers. These nanofibers were obtained from silkworm cocoons which were degummed to separate the fibroin and the sericin, the two proteins that make up silk. The fibroin was then centrifuged to remove insoluble particles and stored and 4°C before the electrospinning process. A parametric study of the electrospinning process was carried out in order to identify the factors allowing to obtain optimal mechanical properties. The current as well as the flow rate applied, the diameter of the syringe, the distance separating the syringe from collector or even …

Soil Greenhouse Gas Responses To Biomass Removal In The Annual And Perennial Cropping Phases Of An Integrated Crop Livestock System, Elizabeth Christenson, Virginia L. Jin, Marty R. Schmer, Robert B. Mitchell, Daren D. Redfearn

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

Diversifying agronomic production systems by combining crops and livestock (i.e., Integrated Crop Livestock systems; ICL) may help mitigate the environmental impacts of intensive single-commodity production. In addition, harvesting row-crop residues and/or perennial biomass could increase the multi-functionality of ICL systems as a potential source for second-generation bioenergy feedstock. Here, we evaluated non-CO2 soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from both row-crop and perennial grass phases of a field-scale model ICL system established on marginally productive, poorly drained cropland in the western US Corn Belt. Soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4 ) were measured during the 2017–2019 growing seasons …

Distilling Professional Opinion To Gauge Vulnerability Of Guam Avifauna To Brown Treesnake Predation, Robert M. Mcelderry, Eben H. Paxton, Andre V. Nguyen, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The avifauna of Guam was devastated by the introduction of the Brown Treesnake, and the restoration of native birds would need to address the problem with eradication or suppression of BTS. With eradication of the snake unlikely in the near term, and suppression capabilities limited to specific finite areas, key information for reintroductions is how low BTS abundance will likely need to be for each bird species to be re-established based on their vulnerability to BTS predation. Here, we estimate vulnerability, which can no longer be measured directly, so biologists who are familiar with one or more of seven Guam …

Cultural Intelligence, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is cultural intelligence?

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is “a person’s adaptation to new cultural settings and capability to deal effectively with other people with whom the person does not share a common cultural background and understanding” (Earley & Ang, 2003, p. 34). Note that this is about general capabilities that cut across different cultures, rather than effectiveness in a specific culture (Ang et al., 2015). Though this definition sounds like it includes all types of intercultural interactions, the focus is a bit more limited—work settings and situations that involve differences in race, ethnicity, and nationality, either within or across countries. …

Robotic Surgical Devices , Systems , And Related Methods, Shane Farritor, Erik Mumm, Philip Chu, Nishant Kumar, Jason Dumpert, Yutaka Tsutano

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical device components, including components that can be incorporated into robotic and / or in vivo medical devices. Certain embodiments include various modular medical devices for in vivo medical procedures.

Privacy, Confidentiality And Anonymity: Understandings From People Who Inject Drugs Enrolled In A Study Of Social Networks And Hiv Risk., Roberto Abadie, Celia Fisher, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Printing Of Growth Factor-Eluting Adhesive Scaffolds Improves Wound Healing, Kristo Nuutila, Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Yori Endo, Yuteng Zhang, Jacob Quint, Tannin A. Schmidt, Ali Tamayol, Indranil Sinha

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Acute and chronic wounds affect millions of people around the world, imposing a growing financial burden on patients and hospitals. Despite the application of current wound management strategies, the physiological healing process is disrupted in many cases, resulting in impaired wound healing. Therefore, more efficient and easy-to-use treatment modalities are needed. In this study, we demonstrate the benefit of in vivo printed, growth factor-eluting adhesive scaffolds for the treatment of full-thickness wounds in a porcine model. A custom-made handheld printer is implemented to finely print gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into the wounds. In vitro and …

Novel Scalable And Simplified System To Generate Microglia-Containing Cerebral Organoids From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Brittany Bodnar, Yongang Zhang, Jinbiao Liu, Yuan Lin, Peng Wang, Zhengyu Wei, Sami Saribas, Yuanjun Zhu, Fang Li, Xu Wang, Wenli Yang, Qingsheng Li, Wen-Zhe Ho, Wenhui Hu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human cerebral organoid (CO) is a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system that recapitulates the developing human brain. While CO has proved an invaluable tool for studying neurological disorders in a more clinically relevant matter, there have still been several shortcomings including CO variability and reproducibility as well as lack of or underrepresentation of certain cell types typically found in the brain. As the technology to generate COs has continued to improve, more efficient and streamlined protocols have addressed some of these issues. Here we present a novel scalable and simplified system to generate microglia-containing CO (MCO). We characterize the cell …

Mapping Heat Vulnerability Index Based On Different Urbanization Levels In Nebraska, Usa, Babak J. Fard, Rezaul Mahmood, Michael Hayes, Clinton M. Rowe, Azar M Abadi, Martha Shulski, Sharon Medcalf, Rachel Lookadoo, Jesse E. Bell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Despite similar incidence rates, Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) in rural areas is under- studied in comparison to urban areas. • The environmental vulnerability variables in rural areas are dissimilar to urban areas, so we applied different variables to calculate them. • We found different organization of socioeconomic variables in calculated HVIs, suggesting separate heat strategies for urbanization levels.

Heatwaves cause excess mortality and physiological impacts on humans throughout the world, and climate change will intensify and increase the frequency of heat events. Many adaptation and mitigation studies use spatial distribution of highly vulnerable local populations to inform heat reduction and …

Diverse University Students Across The United States Reveal Promising Pathways To Hunter Recruitment And Retention, Victoria R. Vayer, Lincoln R. Larson, M. Nils Peterson, Kangjae Jerry Lee, Richard Von Furstenberg, Daniel Y. Choi, Kathryn Stevenson, Adam A. Ahlers, Christine Anhalt-Depies, Taniya Bethke, Jeremy Bruskotter, Christopher J. Chizinski, Brian Clark, Ashley A. Dayer, Benjamin Ghasemi, Larry Gigliotti, Alan Graefe, Kris Irwin, Samuel J. Keith, Matt Kelly, Gerard Kyle, Elizabeth Metcalf, Wayde Morse, Mark D. Needham, Neelam Poudyal, Michael Quartuch, Shari Rodriguez, Chelsie Romulo, Ryan L. Sharp, William Siemer, Matt Springer, Richard Stedman, Taylor Stein, Tim Van Deelen, Jason Whiting, Richelle L. Winkler, Kyle Maurice Woosnam

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Declining participation in hunting, especially among young adult hunters, affects the ability of state and federal agencies to achieve goals for wildlife management and decreases revenue for conservation. For wildlife agencies hoping to engage diverse audiences in hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts, university settings provide unique advantages: they contain millions of young adults who are developmentally primed to explore new activities, and they cultivate a social atmosphere where new identities can flourish. From 2018 to 2020, we surveyed 17,203 undergraduate students at public universities across 22 states in the United States to explore R3 potential on college campuses …

Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

CFS Strong–Building a Resilient Workforce (known as CFS Strong) was the intervention designed as part of the QIC-WD project to address secondary traumatic stress (STS) among child welfare workers and supervisors in Nebraska’s Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) agency (for more information see the Site Overview). CFS Strong included multiple components:

• Resilience Alliance (RA), developed by the New York City Administration of Children’s Services-New York University Children’s Trauma Institute, to create a better and healthier work environment, and to help staff develop skills and behaviors that promote their physical and psychological well-being, thereby putting them in the …

Onboarding Program Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians - Site Intervention Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result or changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes. For more information see Site Overview.

Stem Afterschool Club - Lava Lamps, Dylan Hiser

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool Club that builds upon what students already know about science with fun and interactive experiments.

Nebraska Wildlife Club, Jacob Spooner

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

The goal of this club was for students to expand their knowledge on wildlife that exists both in and outside of Nebraska and for them to get a better idea the types of wildlife they might be able to find within the state. In addition, an objective of this club was to spark curiosity so that the kids might try to further explore aspects of wildlife on their own.

Afterschool Sustainability Club, Ethan Halman Gonzalez

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

In-depth lesson plans used at Riley Elementary to educate students about the environment around them and how to preserve it.

The Usda-Ars Ag100pest Initiative: High-Quality Genome Assemblies For Agricultural Pest Arthropod Research, Anna K. Childers, Scott M. Geib, Sheina B. Sim, Monica F. Poelchau, Brad S. Coates, Tyler J. Simmonds, Erin D. Scully, Timothy P. L. Smith, Christopher P. Childers, Renee L. Corpuz, Kevin Hackett, Brian Scheffler

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The phylum Arthropoda includes species crucial for ecosystem stability, soil health, crop production, and others that present obstacles to crop and animal agriculture. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service initiated the Ag100Pest Initiative to generate reference genome assemblies of arthropods that are (or may become) pests to agricultural production and global food security. We describe the project goals, process, status, and future. The first three years of the project were focused on species selection, specimen collection, and the construction of lab and bioinformatics pipelines for the efficient production of assemblies at scale. Contig-level assemblies of 47 species …