Digital Commons Network^™

Research Report: Well-Being, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

This year, rural Nebraskans are more pessimistic about their current situation than they’ve been since this study began. The proportion believing they are worse off than they were five years ago was 33 percent, up from 27 percent last year and 21 percent in 2022. This is the highest level across all years of the study. This increase in pessimism was matched with a sharp decrease in optimism. This year, just over one-third (36%) of rural Nebraskans believe they are better off compared to five years ago, down from 45 percent last year.

This trend continued when looking to the …

Nebline, August/September 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Preserving the Harvest: Canning, Freezing and Drying Tips, Kayla Colgrove

How Savvy are YOU with Home Canning?

Recipe of the Month: Freezing Onions, Kayla Colgrove

Deep, Infrequent Irrigation Makes Lawns and Trees Healthier, Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month, Mary Jane Frogge

Get the Jump on Jumping Worms, Kait Jumpman

Preparing Water for Use in an Emergency, Becky Schuerman

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Nicole Miller and Cole Meador

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

4-H Announcements

Lancaster County Super Fair, August 1-10, 2024

4-H Premiere Communication Event Top Results

4-H Clover College: 55 Hands-on Workshops

4-H …

Leavers And Movers: Turnover Of Music Teachers In Nebraska, Christian G. Schuerman

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The purpose of this study was to determine if the rates of music teachers leaving the teaching profession and changing schools were significantly different than those of teachers of other content areas in the state of Nebraska. This study used data from the previous nine years of the Nebraska Department of Education’s Education Directory in order to find results for the entire population. Results indicated that music teachers leave the profession at similar rates as teachers of other content areas, but move schools at significantly higher rates.

Advisor: Robert H. Woody

Online Course Development With University Extension And Industry Experts, Kelsey L. Mccullough

Applied Science Program: Theses

Project Background

While pursuing my college degrees, the highest impact classes have been filled with applications that I understood as being relevant at the time and have used within my career, had hands-on experiences, and included influential interactions with professionals. Taking this idea forward to course development as an online instructor, I know that creating and adapting college classes to be centered on key aspects of the agricultural industry will add to the education quality of the program and the college experience. This paper will describe my first attempt at this model of partnering with academic and industry experts to …

Dancing With Identity: How Women In It Navigate Leadership Construction, Amy Barry

Instructional Leadership Abstracts

Women are underrepresented in the information technology sector and experience pervasive gender bias in the typically male-dominated organizations. Barry explores how women navigate and shape their leadership identities within such an environment.

Identifying Genes Linked To Variation In Metabolic And Whole Plant Phenotypes Using Data From Genome Resequencing, Transcriptomics, And Metabolic Profiling Of A Field-Grown Maize Diversity Panel, Ramesh Kanna Mathivanan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Maize metabolism is highly complex and influenced by genetic variation, yet the specific genes contributing to this variation and their links to non-metabolic traits remain less understood. To address this knowledge gap, we identified genes involved in maize metabolic variation and linked them to non-metabolic traits. We utilized a quadruplicate dataset of whole genome resequencing, transcriptomic, metabolic, and whole plant phenotype data from a single common field experiment of 660 diverse maize inbred lines. Leaf samples were collected shortly before flowering and analyzed using GC-MS for 26 metabolites. A Resampling Model Inclusion Probability Genome-Wide Association Study (RMIPGWAS) of approximately 2.6 …

Microbial Transfer And Cross-Contamination In Milling Facilities And Pathogen Survival In Milled Products And Baking Mixes, Aryany Leticia Peña-Gomez

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

Wheat-based products, traditionally considered low-risk due to their low moisture content, have been involved in numerous foodborne outbreaks in recent decades. Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) present in these products have caused significant numbers of hospitalizations and massive product recalls. The microbiological quality of flour is highly dependent on the incoming wheat, which is vulnerable to contamination from field to milling. Once pathogens are present in flour, they can survive for extended periods. Implementing strategies to mitigate the risk of pathogen contamination throughout the wheat processing chain is critical.

This study evaluated the distribution of E. coli …

Development And Validation Of Aronia Melanocarpa Berry Recipes For Home Canning: Integrating Thermal Lethality Studies, Microbiological Safety, And Antioxidant Analysis, Juan Diego Villegas Posada

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

Aronia melanocarpa, also known as chokeberry, is gaining popularity for its high antioxidant content and health benefits, including reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting cancer gene expression. However, its characteristic bitterness and astringency limit its broader appeal. Chokeberry's low pH places it in the acid foods category, making it ideal for safe home canning. An acidic environment combined with heat treatment inhibits harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Home canning preserves food by sealing it in airtight containers and heating it to destroy spoilage microorganisms.

Developing safe and palatable recipes is essential for making chokeberries suitable for home canning. A …

Real-Time Cerebral Oximetry During Cognition, Sensorimotor Control, And Pneumotactile Perception In Neurotypical Adults, David J. Sanchez

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

Continuous-wave functional near-infrared spectroscopy (cw-fNIRS) is a non-invasive brain imaging methodology designed to measure neural activity by detecting hemodynamic responses i.e., adjustments in blood flow and oxygenation to meet the brain’s metabolic needs. Findings on the use of cw-fNIRS by speech-language pathologists (SLP) and neuroscientists to assess cerebral hemodynamic responses during communication assessment and treatment are limited. This study aims to explore the brain’s metabolic response to various sensory processing tasks in neurotypical adults.

This research examines the relationship between cognitive load, sensorimotor control, and somatosensory processing, and hemodynamic modulation in the prefrontal cortex of 18 right-handed neurotypical adults. The …

Virion Composition Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (Wsmv) And Its Use As An Expression Vector, Sourav Pal

Department of Plant Pathology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the principal cereal grown in the United States, whose production ranks third in the world. Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) disease caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa (xtu) is an emerging threat to wheat production in the Great Plains region of the United States of America. In this study, we engineered sequences encoding several plant-based antimicrobial peptides (AMP) were engineered into the WSMV genome and examined their effect on BLS disease in wheat infected by WSMV harboring AMP sequences. Out of nine AMPs, wheat expressing Ace-AMP1, PDF13, TK-AMP-D1, and TK-AMP-D3 produced resistance against the …

The Effect Of Fat Content On The Inactivation And Recovery Of Listeria Spp. In Ready-To-Eat Foods After High Pressure Processing, Yhuliana Kattalina Niño Fuerte

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

High-pressure processing (HPP) is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) as a post-lethality treatment to control Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. A scoping review of 603 journal articles, which ultimately was narrowed down to 16 articles, revealed that the efficacy of HPP varies with fat content. The studies demonstrated that L. monocytogenes inactivation by HPP tends to be lower in RTE meats with greater than 5% fat content, compared to products with lower than 5% fat. The wide range of HPP parameters used in these studies …

Transforming Grassland Conservation: Challenges And Opportunities Across Law, Policy, And Human Dimensions, Conor D. Barnes

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Great Plains social-ecological systems are facing growing pressure from complex, ‘wicked’ problems. Addressing these problems will require integrating ecological resilience and complex systems thinking concepts into our legal framework in order to better reflect the changing ecological reality of the Great Plains and promote flexibility and adaptability in the face of that change. In this dissertation, I examine how past and present policy priorities have affected social-ecological systems on the Great Plains, and how ecological resilience and complex systems thinking might be applied to grassland management policy. In Chapter 2, I examine the rapid progress made in the adoption of …

Further Developing Drought Early Warning Information Systems Using Mixed-Methods And Multiple Streams Of Data, Caily Claire Schwartz

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Drought is a complex phenomenon with varying degrees of impacts and monitoring methods. No drought is alike, creating a challenge for both water managers and communities. No area is immune to a drought. Due to the cyclical nature of drought events, clear information to those impacted is necessary to reduce risk and move towards proactive responses, as opposed to reactive responses. To better provide communication and mitigation tools, Drought Early Warning Information Systems (DEWIS) have been developed in various regions and contexts. To improve early warning, an understanding of the end user’s perceptions of risk, and the applicability of data …

Development Of An Egg-Specific Mass Spectrometry Targeted Method For Processed Food Matrices, Liyun Zhang

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Egg is a major food allergen in the United States, causing symptoms from mild reactions to severe anaphylaxis. An egg-free diet remains the only management approach for egg allergy. Therefore, individuals and families living with egg allergies rely heavily on allergen statements on packaged food products for informed food choices. Currently, no labeling regulations exist for unintentionally introduced allergens, posing risks to consumers with egg allergies. Therefore, it is critical to have an accurate and reliable detection method in allergen control and management to determine the concentration of total protein from allergenic food sources. Traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are routinely …

Development Of Feature Extraction Models To Improve Image Analysis Applications In Cancer, Yu Shi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Cancer poses a significant global health challenge. With an estimated 20 million new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2022 and 9.7 million fatalities attributable to the disease, the economic burden of cancer is immense. It impacts healthcare systems and imposes substantial costs for its care on patients and their families. Despite advancements in early detection, prevention, and treatment that have reduced overall cancer mortality rates, the growing prevalence of cancer, particularly among younger individuals, remains a pressing issue.

Recent advancements in medical imaging technology have progressed significantly with the help of emerging computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Despite these …

"I Will Write Mad Stories": The Hysterical "I" In The Diaries Of George Eliot, Charlotte Forten Grimke, Virginia Woolf, And Sylvia Plath, Jaclyn Marie Swiderski

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation focuses on the long history of hysteria and the ways in which it has been used to denigrate and silence disabled women. Women diagnosed as hysterical, by either the medical establishment or the court of public opinion, are denied the right to generate knowledge about and for themselves – they are epistemologically disabled. The author argues that hysterical women have unique ways of looking at and understanding the world which push back against their epistemological disablement. In order to uncover some of this history of hysterical women, this dissertation uses the diaries of four “hysterical” women over the …

A Data-Driven Discovery System For Studying Extracellular Microrna Sorting And Rna-Protein Interactions, Sasan Azizian

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Interactions between microRNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are pivotal in miRNA-mediated sorting, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions remain largely understudied. Few miRNA-binding proteins have been verified, typically requiring extensive laboratory work. This study introduces DeepMiRBP, a novel hybrid deep learning model designed to predict microRNA-binding proteins. The model integrates Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) networks with attention mechanisms, transfer learning, and cosine similarity to offer a robust computational approach for inferring miRNA-protein interactions.

DeepMiRBP is implemented through two distinct architectures. The first architecture employs a Y-shaped model that uses Bi-LSTM networks and transfer learning to extract contextual …

Long Term Ultrasonic Monitoring And Machine Learning Investigation Of Micro-Crack Damaged Concrete, Yalei Tang

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The thermal modulation method is a recently developed nonlinear ultrasonic technique for evaluating material damage. This method utilizes thermal strain changes resulting from temperature variations to excite the nonlinear behavior of materials and modulate high-frequency ultrasonic waves within them. Its working principle suggests significant potential for application in large-scale concrete structures and in-situ monitoring of real structures. Despite numerous laboratory demonstrations of its effectiveness, several gaps remain before it can be applied to in-service large concrete structures.

This study investigates the potential of the thermal modulation technique for evaluating concrete structures in ambient conditions, addressing key uncertainties for practical implementation. …

Emergent Phenomena In Ferroelectric-Dielectric And Ferroelectric-Graphene Heterostructures, Tianlin Li

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation explores the emergent phenomena in epitaxial ferroelectric oxide-based heterostructures, including the negative capacitance (NC) effect in ferroelectric-dielectric systems, ferroelectric gate imposed mobility limit in graphene field-effect transistors, and ferroelectric domain-induced graphene-superlattices.

We carry out a phenomenological study of the NC effect in PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃/SrTiO₃ capacitors. The Landau free-energy profile predicts a critical thickness ratio for the ferroelectric-dielectric phase transition, consistent with the observed abrupt change in remnant polarization. A static NC state is observed in the low thickness ratio region, which is compromised by the emergence of multidomain in the moderate ratio …

The Effects Of Anchor Scheme On The Central And Peripheral Contributions To Performance Fatigability, Perceived Responses And Sensations, And Psychological Factors Following Sustained, Isometric Forearm Flexion Tasks To Failure, Robert Walker Smith

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Effects of Anchor Scheme on the Central and Peripheral Contributions to Performance Fatigability, Perceived Responses and Sensations, and Psychological Factors Following Sustained, Isometric Forearm Flexion Tasks to Failure Robert W. Smith, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2024 Advisor: Terry J. Housh This study assessed time to task failure (TTF), performance fatigability (PF), neuromuscular responses, central and peripheral measures of fatigue, and perceived responses including sensations and psychological factors that contributed to task termination during sustained, isometric forearm flexion tasks anchored to ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and the torque corresponding to RPE. Fifteen men (age = 21.5 ± 2.3 yrs; …

Occurrence, Inputs, And Ecological Significance Of Antibiotics And Pharmaceuticals In Western Nebraska Streams, Katelyn F. Glause

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Few emerging environmental contaminants are as concerning as antibiotics. Human and animal health benefits greatly from the prudent use of antibiotics, yet we give little thought to environmental release of these biologically active compounds. Environmental occurrence of these and other pharmaceutical compounds must be measured in different environmental compartments such as municipal wastewater and in the vicinity of large animal feeding operations to understand potential effects. This study reports the results of a monitoring study in western Nebraska, with a large population of livestock and smaller but more concentrated population of humans, comparing the relative environmental concentrations and loading from …

Remotely Sensed Early Warning Of Algal Blooms In An Eastern Nebraska Reservoir: A Comparison Of Temporal And Spatial Indicators, Mercy Kipenda

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) detrimentally affect human, animal, and ecosystem health. Remotely sensed early warning systems for cyanoHABs in inland lakes could contribute to more proactive water quality monitoring and help mitigate negative impacts. Advances in freely available remote sensing imagery, with finer spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions, present new opportunities for the development and comparative analysis of methods to detect sudden deterioration in lake water quality. In this thesis, I compared and tested for temporal and spatial early warning signals of cyanoHABs in field-based and remotely sensed datasets from 2019 to 2023 in Pawnee Lake in southeast Nebraska, …

Assessing, Restoring, And Centering Social–Ecological Relationships For Advancing Social–Ecological Resilience In The Northern Great Plains Grasslands, Katia Pilar Carranza Bernal

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Northern Great Plains grasslands are social-ecological systems that were shaped by evolutionary and Indigenous social-ecological relationships. European colonization disrupted many of these interactions, including the coupling of fire and grazing, and degraded social-ecological resilience, shifting these grasslands to a new state. For those reasons, my research focused on assessing, restoring, and centering evolutionary and Indigenous social-ecological relationships for advancing social-ecological resilience in the Northern Great Plains grasslands. I first performed a study in the Nebraska Sandhillls assessing the potential of patch-burn grazing to support grassland resilience by comparing its effects to those of rotational grazing. Through vegetation and bird …

Integration Of Matlab And Machine Learning To Accelerate Evaluation Of Biological Activity In Agricultural Soils And Promote Soil Health Improvement Goals, Andrew Stiven Ortiz Balsero

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditionally, assessments of soil biological activity have been confined to laboratory settings, creating a disconnect with practical in-field methods. To bridge this gap, cotton fabric degradation has been used to illustrate soil microbial activity under different management practices. While effective, these demonstrations are subjective and labor-intensive.

Researchers have explored using image processing software like ImageJ and Adobe Photoshop to streamline this process. Although these tools accurately quantified fabric degradation under varying soil conditions, the methods remained labor-intensive and complex. Consequently, these methods were still not ideal for on-farm use by agricultural practitioners.

To further address labor and complexity limitations, the …

The Use Of Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy With An Infrared Biotyper To Establish Classifiers For Major Serogroups Of Moraxella Bovis Based On Spectral Profiles, Jordyn Bailey Schommer

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

A classifier tool was created to identify major serogroups of Moraxella bovis based on spectral profiles collected from bacterial cells through the use of Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. M. bovis strains were selected from a group of previously sequenced and genotyped isolates, which provided the pilin sequence type for each isolate. The obtained spectroscopic profiles were analyzed through artificial neural networks to create a classifier tool that could identify the PilA type for unknown strains. Once a sufficient spectral library was obtained, the isolates were split into a training and a validation group, each containing spectra from isolates of five …

Patterning Synthesis Of Lead Halide Perovskites Toward Photonic Application, S. M. Nayeem Arefin

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are a fascinating class of photonic materials with the potential to revolutionize various optoelectronic applications. Their diverse crystal structures, ranging from 0D to 3D configurations, offer a unique combination of properties, including high tunability and ease of synthesis. However, their inherent instability and the difficulty of patterning them into sophisticated photonic structures using conventional methods present a significant hurdle to their widespread applications. This thesis addresses these challenges by proposing a novel synthesis method that combines soft lithography and self-assembly. By utilizing a patterned template with controlled wettability, precise manipulation of LHP crystal formation is achieved, …

Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Treatment Is Effective At Sterilizing Metal Surfaces For Planetary Protection, Kaleb Mcquillan

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To prevent forward contamination from microbes aboard spacecraft intended for exploration of solar system bodies there is a need for effective sterilization methods. However, current techniques are both time-consuming and expensive. For example, dry heat sterilization requires removal from the assembly site and several days of treatment. Furthermore, some components such as optics and electronics are not compatible with current sterilization techniques. In this thesis, a novel femtosecond laser surface processing technique for the rapid sterilization of spacecraft hardware is reported. Femtosecond lasers produce extremely high photon fluxes (10²⁹ photons/s*cm², ~0.03 J/cm²) in extremely short …

Linking Risk Preference, Women’S Empowerment, Farm Investment And Household Well-Being, Samuel Olusesi Olumide

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A nuanced understanding of intra-household dynamics can inform the design of more effective empowerment and agricultural investment policies. By integrating household risk preferences and empowerment dynamics, this work offers valuable insights into the complex mechanisms driving household welfare and provides a framework for future interventions to promote gender equality and economic development in rural settings. This thesis addresses three core hypotheses: first, that the spouses of risk-seeking male heads are more likely to be disempowered compared to those of risk-averse male heads; second, that households with risk-seeking male heads and disempowered spouses are likely to invest more in farming activities; …

Preschool Executive Control And Adolescent Dietary Outcomes: Highlighting The Role Of Context, Marla Lopez

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Research has identified executive control (EC) as an important predictor of dietary outcomes among youth. Executive control in preschool age has been shown to predict important outcomes across development for youth, indicating that good, foundational EC abilities are associated with successful development in later life. Dietary outcomes across adolescence, an important transitional period for establishing healthy eating behaviors, are understudied. Therefore, the current study sought to link two critical developmental periods, examining how preschool EC is associated with dietary trajectories across adolescence. Further, the study aimed to identify how contextual factors, specifically indices of socio-economic status and the home and …

Applications Of Artificial Intelligence On Drought Impact Monitoring And Assessment, Beichen Zhang

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Drought, a prevalent and consequential natural disaster, poses widespread, indirect challenges across environmental and societal dimensions. Despite considerable focus on monitoring meteorological and hydrological drought and studying their characteristics, there is a gap in assessing its multifaceted impacts, especially on societal sectors. The dissertation comprises three research essays utilizing artificial intelligence to quantitatively study multi-dimensional drought impacts. The first essay leveraged deep learning and natural language processing to predict multi-dimensional drought impacts from textual datasets, including social media, news media, and citizen scientist reports. The findings demonstrate superior performance over traditional methods and unveil the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of …