Digital Commons Network^™

Nonparametric False Discovery Rate Control For Identifying Simultaneous Signals, Sihai Dave Zhao, Yet Tian Nguyen

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

It is frequently of interest to identify simultaneous signals, defined as features that exhibit statistical significance across each of several independent experiments. For example, genes that are consistently differentially expressed across experiments in different animal species can reveal evolutionarily conserved biological mechanisms. However, in some problems the test statistics corresponding to these features can have complicated or unknown null distributions. This paper proposes a novel nonparametric false discovery rate control procedure that can identify simultaneous signals even without knowing these null distributions. The method is shown, theoretically and in simulations, to asymptotically control the false discovery rate. It was also …

The Game Studies Crisis: What Are The Rules Of Play?, Marc A. Ouellette, Steven Conway

English Faculty Publications

Though no field or discipline’s historical vector presents itself as a strictly linear building of knowledge, the historical trajectory of Game Studies is problematic: certainly not linear, yet also not even multiplicious or rhizomatic. Instead, we are cyclical. Past debates often re-emerge, zombie-like, muttering the same arguments, often encased in binaries as endemic to our field as they are to the objects we study: unbridgeable disagreements on fundamental concepts; incompatible ontologies and epistemologies; incommensurability writ large. We view this as a chronic issue which has of late culminated in a crisis, exacerbated by changing institutional prerogatives championing multidisciplinary approaches and …

The House And The Infected Body: The Metonomy Of Resident Evil 7, Alan Mcgreevy, Christina Fawcett, Marc A. Ouellette

English Faculty Publications

Resident Evil 7, in articulating the threat of infectious mold, situates the illness with the feminine: Historical, cultural, and physiological connections between mold and women gives the game license to limit, objectify, and render the female characters monstrous. First-person immersion brings us into contact with the infection, as mold and Molded threaten the buildings of the Bakers, while mold growing in their brains threatens the Bakers themselves. Through the form of infection, the disease is invasively feminine, reflected in the Bakers and their homes.

Science, Diplomacy, And The Red Sea's Unique Coral Reef: It's Time For Action, Karine Kleinhaus, Ali Al-Sawalmih, Daniel J. Barshis, Amatzia Genin, Lola N. Grace, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Yossi Loya, Anders Meiborn, Eslam O. Osman, Jean-Daniel Ruch, Yonathan Shaked, Christian R. Voolstra, Assaf Zvuloni, Maoz Fine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Rapid ocean warming due to climate change poses a serious risk to the survival of coral reefs. It is estimated that 70–90 percent of all reefs will be severely degraded by mid-century even if the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Climate Agreement is achieved. However, one coral reef ecosystem seems to be more resilient to rising sea temperatures than most others. The Red Sea’s reef ecosystem is one of the longest continuous living reefs in the world, and its northernmost portion extends into the Gulf of Aqaba. The scleractinian corals in the Gulf have an unusually high tolerance for the …

Lymesim 2.0: An Updated Simulation Of Blacklegged Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Population Dynamics And Enzootic Transmission Of Borrelia Burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), Holly Gaff, Rebecca J. Eisen, Lars Eisen, Robyn Nadolny, Jenna Bjork, Andrew J. Monaghan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, and the number of cases reported each year continues to rise. The complex nature of the relationships between the pathogen (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto), the tick vector (Ixodes scapularis Say), multiple vertebrate hosts, and numerous environmental factors creates challenges for understanding and predicting tick population and pathogen transmission dynamics. LYMESIM is a mechanistic model developed in the late 1990s to simulate the life-history of I. scapularis and transmission dynamics of B. burgdorferi s.s. Here we present LYMESIM 2.0, a modernized version of LYMESIM, that includes …

An Efficient Microinjection Method To Generate Human Anaplasmosis Agent Anaplasma Phagocytophilum-Infected Ticks, Vikas Taank, Ellango Ramasamy, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ticks are important vectors that transmit several pathogens including human anaplasmosis agent, Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular rickettsial pathogen. An infected reservoir animal host is often required for maintenance of this bacterial colony and as a source for blood to perform needle inoculations in naïve animals for tick feeding studies. In this study, we report an efficient microinjection method to generate A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks in laboratory conditions. The dense-core (DC) form of A. phagocytophilum was isolated from in vitro cultures and injected into the anal pore of unfed uninfected Ixodes scapularis nymphal ticks. These ticks …

Identification, Aggressiveness And Mycotoxin Production Of Fusarium Graminearum And F. Boothii Isolates Causing Fusarium Head Blight Of Wheat In Nebraska, Esteban Valverde-Bogantes

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

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically important disease caused by several Fusarium species affecting wheat. Besides causing significant yield losses, infected grain may be contaminated with mycotoxins, primarily trichothecenes, that are harmful to both humans and animals. In recent years, reports of shifts in FHB pathogen populations in North America have highlighted the need for increased vigilance. This dissertation describes a four-year survey evaluating the species, trichothecene genotype and phenotypic diversity of FHB pathogens infecting Nebraska wheat. Most of the isolates were identified as F. graminearum (n=67). Additional species included F. boothii (n=3), F. poae (n=2) and F. acuminatum …

Prairie Grouse Population Trends And Their Historical Drivers In The Nebraska Sandhills, Danielle Berger

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

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) has monitored greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) and plains sharp-tailed grouse populations (Tympanuchus phasianellus jamesi), collectively known as prairie grouse, since the 1950s using spring breeding ground counts. My research modeled long-term, species-specific spatial and temporal trends of prairie grouse abundance and potential environmental drivers in the Sandhills of Nebraska using NGPC’s historical monitoring data. Prairie-chicken populations have increased since the 1950s while sharp-tailed grouse populations have remained stable or slightly declined. These population trends arise in the context of a dynamic landscape. I created indices representing raptor predation …

The River And The Ranger: The Crafting And Background Of An Interpretive Program, Amy J. Heusinkvelt

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The central part of this creative project was the development and presentation of an interpretive program delivered in conjunction with employment at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. To supplement this place-specific program, a second program was developed retaining similar themes to the first, but designed to be presented in Lincoln. A brief history of the National Park Service as well as the fundamentals of interpretation were researched and elaborated upon to provide both a base and background for presentation of the interpretive programs. The project includes both self-assessment of the programs and research, as well as remarks, suggestions, and …

Enhancing The Rewarding Effects And Subsequent Self-Administration Of Nicotine Through Appetitive Interoceptive Conditioning, Allissa Flynn

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Nicotine is commonly considered to be the primary addictive constituent in tobacco products. Therefore, research focused on nicotine and its effects is necessary for understanding nicotine dependency and in developing potential cessation treatments. Research has confirmed the relevance of learning processes associated with nicotine and their influence on the development of addiction. Conditioning involving interoceptive stimuli is increasingly cited as playing a role in many diseases, psychopathologies, and drug addiction. The internal stimulus effects of nicotine can form associations with other reinforcing stimuli through a process of Pavlovian conditioning where nicotine is the conditioned stimulus. In this way, nicotine acquires …

Arbor Day Foundation Children’S Book Recommendation Report, Bekah Otten, Allie Stromp, Megan Copsey, Reagan Scott, Tina Blaser, Megan Mccann

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) has a mission to “inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.” This mission requires a critical underlying factor to ensure its success: education. In brainstorming ideas for a new project that ADF could undertake, our group discovered that there were a lot of gaps in our knowledge and understanding of trees, the impact that they have on the environment, and the work of ADF. Our lack of experience in these areas led us to believe that perhaps, there is an education gap that can be filled. In pursuing the filling of this gap, we …

Plant Response To Salinity: An Analysis Of Ros Formation, Signaling, And Antioxidant Defense, Turgut Yi̇gi̇t Akyol, Oğuzhan Yilmaz, Bariş Uzi̇lday, Rengi̇n Özgür Uzi̇lday, İsmai̇l Türkan

Turkish Journal of Botany

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of normal plant metabolism and their production is elevated under environmental stresses such as drought, extreme temperature, and salinity. Among these, salinity is a worldwide problem that impacts the fertility of arable lands and sustainability of food security, which is getting more attention due to climate change. Halophytes can survive and reproduce in soils containing high concentrations of salt and have developed adaptation mechanisms at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels including maintenance of ROS metabolism. In this review, we aim to summarize findings related to ROS production, signaling, scavenging, and especially ROS avoidance mechanisms …

Botanical Characteristics, Potential Uses, And Cultivation Possibilities Of Mustards In Turkey: A Review, Fatma Kayaçeti̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

The mustard species [(Brassica juncea (brown mustard),B. nigra (black mustard),B. rapa syn. B. campestris (field mustard or turnip), and Sinapis alba (white mustard or yellow mustard)] constitute important genetic resources and sources of raw materials to large number of agrobased industries in Turkey and elsewhere. S. alba is usually used as a condiment in dry form. B. nigra is used as a condiment and as vegetable with dietary fibre, vitamin C, and other anticancer compounds. B. juncea is used for oil and as spice. B. rapa is popularly used for biofuel raw material. However, there is poor focus on their …

2020 Faculty Accomplishments Reception, University Of Richmond

Faculty Accomplishments Reception Programs

Program for the 2020 Faculty Accomplishments Reception

In Honor of University of Richmond Faculty Contributions to Scholarship, Research and Creative Work, January 2019 - December 2019

March 5, 2020, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Boatwright Memorial Library, Research & Collaborative Study Area, First Floor

If You're Reading This, It's Too Late: The Unconstitutionality Of Notice Effectuating Implied Consent, Michelle Tomkovicz

Emory Law Journal

Reasonableness is the touchstone of the Fourth Amendment; a search is per se unreasonable absent a warrant, but if the state has garnered consent from an individual, the subsequent search is deemed reasonable and not to have violated the Fourth Amendment. Because consent is a powerful exception, governments looking to establish valid search schemes are attempting to garner consent, specifically implied consent, by notifying individuals that specific actions will serve as consent to search. Such attempts are not rare. This Comment focuses on three examples: the Denver Police Department’s use of signs notifying individuals in particular areas that their biometric …

Silenced By Instruction, Vida B. Johnson

Emory Law Journal

Criminal law and procedure tell us a criminal defendant is presumed innocent. Jurors in criminal trials receive a specific instruction on the presumption of innocence prior to beginning deliberations in trial. But the instructions given to the jury in a number of jurisdictions when a defendant testifies is a significant legal obstacle standing in the way of the presumption of innocence. Jurors in a few states and federal courts all over the country receive instructions that a defendant’s testimony should be viewed with caution because of his interest in the outcome of the case. In other states the general instructions …

Monumental Questions And How We Honor Them, Melynda J. Price J.D., Ph.D.

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

We are in another moment where who and how we memorialize is being reconsidered in communities small and large. My colleague, Zachary Bray, and I proposed this symposium to the Kentucky Law Journal because the topic reflected our shared interests in the debate over memorials and which historical narrative should triumph in the public square. We arrive at the question from different intellectual paths, but the common concern is over when and how stakeholders can and will revise that narrative through the regulation of monuments. These revisions often come in the form of calls for, it not outright, removal outhouse …

The Fragile Future Of Aquifer Storage And Recovery, Zachary A. Bray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Buda, Texas-a small town that lies between Austin and San Antonio,

on the banks of Onion Creek and above the Edwards Aquifer-is perhaps

best known, though it is not particularly well known, as the "Wiener Dog

Capital of Texas." Buda's claim to this title is based upon its annual

dachshund races, which are opposed by the Dachshund Club of America

but lauded by locals, tourists, and the international press as an "event that

combines the pageantry of the Kentucky Derby and the excitement of

NASCAR with dachshunds, animals known for their small stature." Buda

is certainly unusual in relying so …

1. President's Office Records, 1941-1998, The University Of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center

Director's Office Records: Ernst Bertner and R. Lee Clark Archives

The President's Office Records include materials generated and received by the President of the institution, and his staff, during his time in office. The early records also include the materials generated and received by the Director of the institution, and his staff, prior to the time the position of President existed. Additionally, there are records from the President Emeritus office included in the record group.

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On The Reading Achievement Of First Graders, Tracy Renae Hudson, Linda Reeves, Rebecca M. Giles, Lauren R. Brannan

Georgia Journal of Literacy

With reading proficiently by the end of third grade as a common goal, many school districts are exploring options to enhance early reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the supplemental, computer-assisted reading program i-Ready would significantly affect first grade students’ reading achievement. Participants (n=159) were first graders at two elementary schools - treatment (n= 82) and comparison n= 77). An independent samples t-test was used to compare the mid-year reading achievement scores of the treatment and comparison groups and found no statistically significant differences between groups. Following 10 weeks of twice-weekly 45-minute sessions of …

Early African History Of Rowan County, Kentucky, Rowan County Historical Society.

Rowan County Histories Collection

A collection of census records, death certificates, school forms, and obituaries of African Americans that resided and worked in Rowan County, Kentucky from 1856 to the 1940s

Plastics Derived From Derelict Fishing Gear In The Arctic: Looking At Sustainable Fisheries For A Strategy Of Mitigation, Remediation And Prevention In Iceland And Alaska, Natalie S. Armstrong

Pitzer Senior Theses

Marine plastics are not just a problem, they are a silent, sinister epidemic. Marine plastics are the largest economic and ecological threat to our marine ecosystems, particularly marine plastics derived from lost and or discarded fishing gear, which affects sensitive marine communities, the chemical composition of the ocean water, and the physical makeup of the seafloor. With 6.4 million tons of marine debris entering our oceans annually, a third of which is lost fishing gear, it is estimated that, by weight, in 2050 there will be an accumulation of more plastic than fish in the ocean (Heath, 2018; Wilcox, 2015). …

Environment In Crisis: Seeking An Afrofuturist Perspective, Simone Wolynski

Pitzer Senior Theses

This research examines the relationship between environmental oppression and racial injustice, speculating about the need for a paradigmatic shift to better promote an intersectional justice movement. Through a presentation of literature that confronts failing environmentalism, I argue that the framework propels social injustices through its elitism and exclusivity. Current environmentalism hinders sustainable change and further contributes to prolonged inaction in socially targeted communities. Using East St. Louis as a case study on cyclic environmental and racial injustice, I present a long-term historical landscape of the city. Industrial overuse and political negligence cement the predominately Black residents in poverty and pollution. …

Rights, Water, And Guardians: How Rights Of Nature Movements Are Reshaping Our Current Environmental Ethics And What These Policies Need To Be Successful, Megan Schmiesing

Pitzer Senior Theses

Giving legal rights to nature is no longer a fringe idea in international environmental law. Rights of Nature movements have gained traction in countries around the world, including Ecuador, Australia, India, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the United States. The act of organizing to recognize legal rights and legal personhood for nature represents a philosophical, moral, and political shift from previous anthropocentric values. Through two case studies in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States, this thesis examines the policy language and the context and history that led to their creation. The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act and …

A Comparative Ecofeminist Perspective Of Care For Planetary Family, Jea Sophia Oh

Philosophy Faculty Publications

As a comparative ecofeminist philosopher, I would like to specify two comments on Stephen T. Asma and Rami Gabriel’s book, The Emotional Mind: The Affective Roots of Culture and Cognition (2019). First, an emotional mind is not only had by human beings, but also shared by all primates and probably other creatures. Thus I discovered in this work an expansive understanding of “emotion” as a eld of study. From my ecofeminist perspective, I suggest that a deep ecological expansive thinking through cultures always involves more than mere human artice, and that having deep evolutionary roots for care which are shaped …

Measuring Functional Brain Recovery In Regenerating Planarians By Assessing The Behavioral Response To The Cholinergic Compound Cytisine, Oné R. Pagán, Debra L. Baker, Sean Deats, Mary O'Brien, Rochelle Dymond, Gabriella Demichele

Biology Faculty Publications

Planarians are traditional model invertebrates in regeneration and developmental biology research that also display a variety of quantifiable behaviors useful to screen for pharmacologically active compounds. One such behavior is the expression of seizure-like movements (pSLMs) induced by a variety of substances. Previous work from our laboratory showed that cocaine, but not nicotine, induced pSLMs in intact but not decapitated planarians. Interestingly, as decapitated planarians regenerated their heads, they gradually recovered their sensitivity to cocaine. These results suggested a method to assess planarian brain regeneration and a possible way of identifying compounds that could enhance or hold back brain regeneration. …

Simulating Medical Isolation: Communicatively Managing Patient And Medical Team Safety, Elizabeth L. Spradley, R. Tyler Spradley

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Reducing hospital acquired or associated infections (HAIs) is a national public health priority. HAIs pose risks to patients, visitors, and medical personnel. To better understand how to communicatively manage safety in medical isolation, data was collected with nursing students simulating medical isolation in a high-fidelity simulation with a medical mannequin with C. difficile. Observations of nursing students and faculty revealed four distinct communication practices: social support, patient education, humor, and storytelling. Conclusions include recommendations to intentionally design these communication practices into high-fidelity medial isolation simulations and scale up these communication practices in routines of safety.

Goodness In Gaming: A Survey On Gamers And Their Altruism, Daniel Amaral

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The psychological inquiry into the effects of videogames and the internet on behavior is still a relatively new field. The question of whether playing violent videogames directly contribute to violent behavior, particularly in reference to its influence in mass shootings, is an important one that needs answers. A plethora of research purportedly shows the negative effects of (violent) videogames, but research showing positive effects, particularly on prosocial behaviors within the virtual world and reality, are less common. If specific videogame preferences are associated with altruistic behaviors, such a finding could elucidate how videogames might contribute to prosocial behavior. In this …

Development Of An Environmental Disposition Scale: A Guide For Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Jady Chen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Promoting sustainable behavior or environmentally responsible behavior poses challenges because there is no overarching solution for behavior changes. Both surveys and interventions are context specific, meaning behaviors do not necessarily influence other behaviors and the same values, norms, and beliefs do not necessarily translate to the same level of sustainable behavior. Because there are regional differences in ideologies in the United States, a country level approach to encourage sustainable behavior would not be as effective as having interventions that directly correlate with the motivations that encourage environmentally responsible behavior. A survey will be conducted with University of Central Florida undergraduate …

A Model Experiment To Investigate The Possibility Of Glyphosate Contamination In St. Kitts And Nevis, Winston Fu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that is used globally to combat the spread of weeds among crops. Not all countries around the world have been using the herbicide. For example, island countries such as Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis do not use the herbicide on their crops. However, St. Kitts and Nevis imports food and other agricultural products from around the world, leading to the hypothesis that glyphosate is contaminating the soil through those imported products. The aim of this research project was to determine if glyphosate is present in the island country of St. Kitts and Nevis. A …