Digital Commons Network^™

Nebraska Data Collection, Keyvan Zare Rami, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Automated pavement performance data collection is a method that uses advanced technology to collect detailed road surface distress information at traffic speed. Agencies are driven to use automated survey techniques to enhance or replace their current manual distress survey because of the advantages of objective measurements, safety benefits, and reduced measurement time. As agencies move toward the transition to fully automated data collection methods, there are common concerns regarding how the output of the new method will match the current manual survey ratings and how they will be adopted into the existing Pavement Management System (PMS). This study evaluates the …

Development Of A Semicircular Bend (Scb) Test Method For Performance Testing Of Nebraska Asphalt Mixtures, Gabriel Nsengiyumva, Yong-Rak Kim, Taesun You

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

The Fictionality Of Topic Modeling: Machine Reading Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire Series, Rachel Sagner Buurma

English Literature Faculty Works

This essay describes how using unsupervised topic modeling (specifically the latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling algorithm in MALLET) on relatively small corpuses can help scholars of literature circumvent the limitations of some existing theories of the novel. Using an example drawn from work on Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire series, it argues that unsupervised topic modeling's counter-factual and retrospective reconstruction of the topics out of which a given set of novels have been created allows for a denaturalizing and unfamiliar (though crucially not “objective” or “unbiased”) view. In other words, topic models are fictions, and scholars of literature should consider …

Generalized Cokähler Geometry And An Application To Generalized Kähler Structures, Ralph R. Gomez, Janet Talvacchia

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

In this paper, we propose a generalization of classical coKähler geometry from the point of view of generalized contact metric geometry. This allows us to generalize a theorem of Capursi (1984), Goldberg (1968) and show that the product M1×M2M1×M2 of generalized contact metric manifolds (Mi,Φi,E±,i,Gi)(Mi,Φi,E±,i,Gi), i=1,2i=1,2, where M1×M2M1×M2 is endowed with the product (twisted) generalized complex structure induced from Φ1Φ1 and Φ2Φ2, is (twisted) generalized Kähler if and only if View the MathML source(Mi,Φi,E±,i,Gi),i=1,2 are (twisted) generalized coKähler structures. As an application of our theorem we construct new examples of twisted generalized Kähler structures on manifolds that do not admit …

Low-Rank Network Decomposition Reveals Structural Characteristics Of Small-World Networks, Victor J. Barranca, D. Zhou, D. Cai

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

Small-world networks occur naturally throughout biological, technological, and social systems. With their prevalence, it is particularly important to prudently identify small-world networks and further characterize their unique connection structure with respect to network function. In this work we develop a formalism for classifying networks and identifying small-world structure using a decomposition of network connectivity matrices into low-rank and sparse components, corresponding to connections within clusters of highly connected nodes and sparse interconnections between clusters, respectively. We show that the network decomposition is independent of node indexing and define associated bounded measures of connectivity structure, which provide insight into the clustering …

Correcting For Measurement Error In Latent Variables Used As Predictors, Lynne Steuerle Schofield

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

This paper represents a methodological-substantive synergy. A new model, the Mixed Effects Structural Equations (MESE) model which combines structural equations modeling and item response theory, is introduced to attend to measurement error bias when using several latent variables as predictors in generalized linear models. The paper investigates racial and gender disparities in STEM retention in higher education. Using the MESE model with 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data, I find prior mathematics proficiency and personality have been previously underestimated in the STEM retention literature. Pre-college mathematics proficiency and personality explain large portions of the racial and gender gaps. The …

Letting Go: Ncaa Reform As An Alternative To The Unionization Of College Athletes, Kevin Demaio

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Public Trust Doctrine Implications Of Electricity Production, Lance Noel, Jeremy Firestone

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

The public trust doctrine is a powerful legal tool in property law that requires the sovereign, as a trustee, to protect and manage natural resources. Historically, the public trust doctrine has been used in relationship to navigable waterways and wildlife management. Despite electricity production’s impact on those two areas and the comparatively smaller impacts of renewable energy, electricity production has garnered very little public trust doctrine attention. This Article examines how electricity production implicates the public trust doctrine, primarily through the lens of four states—California, Wisconsin, Hawaii, and New Jersey—and how it would potentially apply to each state’s electricity planning …

Prey Size And Dietary Niche Of Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus Rafinesquii), Luke E. Dodd, Michael J. Lacki, Joseph S. Johnson, Lynne K. Rieske

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Bats in the genus Corynorhinus possess a suite of morphological characters that permit them to effectively use both gleaning and aerial-hawking foraging strategies to capture Lepidoptera. Consequently, they occupy a specialized feeding niche within North American bat assemblages and are of particular interest for dietary studies. We collected fecal pellets from a colony of C. rafinesquii (Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat) at Mammoth Cave National Park during August–October 2011 and amplified cytochrome-c oxidase subunit 1 fragments of prey from these pellets. We used the Barcode of Life Database to identify prey, and evaluated the size of prey species based on published values. …

Gender Inequity In The Representation Of Women As Superintendents In Mississippi Public Schools: The "No Problem Problem", Deidre Joy Seale Smith

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the phenomenon of continuing underrepresentation of female superintendents in Mississippi K-12 public schools. The study was conducted during the 2014-2015 school year. At the time of the study, women represented 23% of the overall population of superintendents in Mississippi public schools. Fourteen women who were serving as superintendents in Mississippi during the 2014-2015 school year participated. Interviews were conducted, and the qualitative data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The data were analyzed using constructs associated with feminist theory, feminist postsructural and feminist standpoint theoretical frameworks. Two primary themes emerged as a result of this …

Investigating The Impact Of Reflexive Practices On College Students In A Science Laboratory Course, Chandrani Mishra

Dissertations

Emphasis on professional practices to develop students’ professionalism is currently a major focus of higher education. Studies have shown the benefits of reflexive practices in classroom to facilitate the development of students’ professional attitude or identity in some fields. Reflexive practices involve students in self-reflection where he/she reflects on his/her own actions. Little investigation about the benefits of reflexive practices in the development of students’ scientific identity in a science class led to my investigation. Development of a scientific identity of students and their overall interest and motivation in science is deemed essential for retaining students in STEM fields.

My …

Objective Bayesian Analysis On The Quantile Regression, Shiyi Tu

All Dissertations

The dissertation consists of two distinct but related research projects. First of all, we study the Bayesian analysis on the two-piece location-scale models, which contain several well-known sub-distributions, such as the asymmetric Laplace distribution, the skewed normal distribution, and the skewed Student-t distribution. The use of two-piece location-scale models is an attractive method to model non-symmetric data. From a practical point of view, a prior with some objective information may be more reasonable due to the lack of prior information in many applied situations. It has been shown that several common used objective priors, such as the Jeffreys prior, result …

Associations Between Hereditary Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene Alterations And Aggressive Tumor Phenotype In Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Sourat Darabi

All Dissertations

The first chapter of this dissertation serves as an overview of the background and significance of this study, the associations between hereditary breast cancer susceptibility gene alterations (GA) and aggressive tumor phenotypes in women with breast cancer. The body of work in all chapters focuses on the topics of breast cancer genomics, inflammatory breast cancer, the application of Protection Motivation Theory to guide prevention strategies for women with breast cancer diagnosis and positive genetic alteration, and the associations between hereditary breast cancer susceptibility GAs and aggressive tumor phenotype. The second chapter is a review of literature to discuss breast cancer …

Mechanical Properties Of Interpenetrating Phase Composites Using Open-Cell Al Foams With Natural Rubber And Polyethylene, Kunmutta Angamnuaysiri, Seksak Asavavisithchai

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) were produced by conventional casting process, in vacuum atmosphere, using open-cell Al foams as matrix, and filled with either natural rubber or polyethylene. Mechanical properties of IPCs strongly depends on types of polymeric phases. It is found that the IPCs with polyethylene show an increase in compressive strength as well as failure strain. However, a large decrease of compressive strength is observed in the IPCs with natural rubber, as a result of cracks along the interface between Al foam and the rubber. These cracks are distributed throughout foam structure in the IPCs.

Microstructure And X-Ray Diffraction Analysis Of Al-Cu Couples Diffused At High Temperature, Jaime Hinojosa-Torres, Juan Manuelaceves-Hernández, Andres Herrera-Vázquez, Victor Manuelcastaño-Meneses

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

By employing a thermal field of 813 K, couples of Al with Cu were welded as consequence of the atomic diffusion. The periods of permanency inside the field were 200, 320 and 480 hours. After the periods of test, SEM observations show the formation of two contiguous plate likes (~15 to 30 micrometres, width) that they are in normal position to the concentration gradient. By utilizing elemental analyses and X-ray diffraction techniques one plate like was identified as the h2 phase (CuAl) and the other one as the q phase (CuAl2) of the aluminium-copper system. Immediate to the q plate …

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Best Practices To Assess Pediatric Patients And Educate Their Families Experiencing Effects Of Cancer Chemotherapy: “Chemo Brain” A Pilot Study, Jennifer A. Tapping

Senior Theses

With more advanced and more aggressive chemotherapy cancer treatment leading to higher survival rates, complications with quality of life are becoming more prominent. Of these complications, delayed cognitive processing, commonly known as “chemo brain,” is becoming a topic of interest. Cognitive changes are some of the most common as well as the most challenging complications associated with central nervous system (CNS) directed treatment, such as chemotherapy. The term “chemo brain” is often used to describe self-reported or observed cognitive processing delays in patients who receive chemotherapy as a form of cancer treatment (Raffa, 2009). Although these cognitive delays have the …

Bed Rest And Its Continued Use In Women With High-Risk Pregnancy: A Review Of Literature, Irene De Los Reyes

Senior Theses

Bed rest is defined as confinement to bed and restriction of activity. In the clinical setting bed rest includes strict bed rest, strict bed rest in Trendelenburg position, bed rest with bathroom privileges, and up ad lib (Irion, Irion, Lewis & Giglio, 2012). Bed rest has been the standard treatment for over the past 30 years in preventing preterm birth and complications arising from high-risk pregnancy despite the lack of evidence to support its safety and effectiveness for the mother and fetus (Maloni, 2010). The purpose of this literature review and critique is to provide information about the adverse physiologic …

Hollywood & Media Portrayals Of Veterans Who Suffer From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Francesca C. Katafias

Senior Theses

According to the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs: National Center for PTSD, it’s recorded that, “approximately 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year”. In my research study, my focus is to better understand Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, how prevalent it is in military veterans, and how the media (Hollywood) projects our veterans to be to the public. There are three important questions I have put together to further explore my topic without losing direction on my prime focus. The three questions I …

Biomechanical Performances Of Networked Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate: Effect Of Photoinitiator Concentration, Temperature, And Incubation Time, Morshed Khandaker, Albert Orock, Stefano Tarantini, Jeremiah White, Ozlem Yasar

Publications and Research

Nutrient conduit networks can be introduced within the Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate (PEGDA) tissue construct to enable cells to survive in the scaffold. Nutrient conduit networks can be created on PEGDA by macrochannel to nanochannel fabrication techniques. Such networks can influence the mechanical and cell activities of PEGDA scaffold. There is no study conducted to evaluate the effect of nutrient conduit networks on the maximum tensile stress and cell activities of the tissue scaffold.The study aimed to explore the influence of the network architecture on the maximum tensile stress of PEGDA scaffold and compared with the nonnetworked PEGDA scaffold. Our study …

Mausoleum // Twenty-Seven Negatives: The Disposable Camera I Forgot On You Kitchen Counter, Savannah Skinner

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Sound // Snow, Jessica Rigby

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

I Am A Dog, Sarah Simon

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Alone // Microcosmos, Kira Gregory

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Spatial Variability Of Soil Velocity Using Passive Surface Wave Testing, Daniel Raymond Wagstaffe

Master's Theses

Lifelines such as highways, pipelines, telecommunication lines, and powerlines provide communities with vital services, and their functionality is dependent upon the foundation soil that supports them. However, when designing the infrastructure, it can be difficult to know where to test the soil in order to give spatially representative sampling, particularly for long, lifeline structures. Finding this distance requires knowledge of the spatial correlation and/or the spatial variability of the soil parameter (stiffness, cohesion, etc.). But this correlation distance is not typically found in practice because it requires large amounts of data and the costs of retrieving that data can be …

The Immortal Accusation, Lindsey Webb

Washington Law Review

In the American criminal justice system, accusations have eternal life. Prosecutors, judges, and prison officials regularly consider dismissed charges and even prior acquittals in the defendant’s criminal history when making decisions ranging from the filing of charges to the imposition of punishment. This Article argues that the criminal justice system’s reliance on “accusation evidence” should be understood as furthering that system’s larger allegiance to attaining and preserving findings of guilt. Once the government obtains a guilty plea or verdict, appellate courts rarely overturn convictions based on concerns about the accuracy of the conviction; indeed, post-conviction review procedures often are structured …

Post Operative Fungal Endopthalmitis Due To Geotrichum Candidum, Thein Myint, Matthew J. Dykhuizen, Carolyn H. Mcdonald, Julie A. Ribes

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Geotrichum species have been rarely reported as the cause of sepsis, disseminated infection in immunosuppressed patients. The patient we describe developed indolent endophthalmitis four months after her routine right eye cataract surgery. The intraoperative sample from right vitreous fluid grew Geotrichum candidum. The patient underwent vitrectomy, artificial lens explantation and intravitreal injection of amphotericin B followed by oral voriconazole. Despite these interventions, she underwent enucleation. This is the first published case of Geotrichum candidum endophthalmitis.

The United Methodist Church And The Willingness To Embrace Change: Attracting Members Of The Emerging Generation And A Return To Vitality, Jody Glenn Ray

Doctor of Ministry

Christian culture within the United States has been experiencing phenomenal change related to shifts in the larger U.S. culture, as well as shifts taking place in the Church. As such, five sets of research questions were presented in this phenomenological study. These consisted of - What is the current state of the Church? Is the Church divided doctrinally, theologically, and in areas regarding polity? If so, what is causing this division? What are the primary causes of the decline in membership currently being experienced by the United Methodist Church? What are the greatest challenges facing the Church? What are the …

Investigation Of The Synthesis And Characterization Of Platinum-Dmsa Nanoparticles Using Millifluidic Chip Reactor, Chelliah V. Navin, Katla Sai Krishna, G. Lisa Bovenkamp-Langlois, Jeffery T. Miller, Soma Chattopadhyay, Tomohiro Shibata, Yaroslav Losovyj, Varshni Singh, Chandra Theegala, Challa S.S.R. Kumar

Faculty Publications

A continuous flow process for production of water-soluble Platinum-Dimercaptosuccinic acid (Pt(DMSA)) nanoparticles at ambient conditions using millifluidics is demonstrated. The process development was supported by in-situ synchrotron radiation-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) investigations. The XAS revealed that the nucleation and growth of the Pt(DMSA) nanoparticles is extremely fast. Such a fast nucleation and growth process was also found to hinder coating of the channel walls, except at the zone 1 where the reactants first interact. The engineering of hitherto unreported Pt(DMSA) nanoparticles, well characterized using High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy …

Concert Stems, Sophia Caruso

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Backs, Lauren Laws

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.