Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Teaching Librarians' Beliefs About Undergraduate Student Learning, Ashlynn Kogut

Communications in Information Literacy

Whether formally articulated or tacitly held, all librarians have beliefs about how undergraduate students learn. Framing learning beliefs as a component of a teaching philosophy, this study explored how librarians described how undergraduate students learned best. Thirteen librarians from three doctoral universities in Texas were interviewed. Teaching librarians in this study believed that students learn in different ways; that students need to interact with others, act, and reflect in order to learn; and that students learn when certain conditions are met. The learning beliefs identified align with learning theories and the science of learning, but the threshold concepts theory underlying …

Two-Way Load Flow Analysis Using Newton-Raphson And Neural Network Methods, Aya Emad Omar Al Shaltouni

Theses

This research presents a study of the optimal power flow for networked microgrids with multiple renewable energy sources (PV panels and wind turbines), storage systems, generators, and load. The OPF problem is performed using a conventional method and an Artificial Intelligence method. In this research, we investigated the performance of MGs system with renewable energy integration with focus on power flow studies. The calculation of the power flow is based on the well-known Newton-Raphson method and Neural Network method. The power flow calculation aims to evaluate the grid performance parameters such as voltage bus magnitude, angle, real and reactive power …

Micro-Computed Tomographic Analysis Of The Shaping Ability Of Xp-Endo Shaper In Oval-Shaped Distal Root Canals Of Mandibular Molars, Ane Poly, Wei-Ju Louis Tseng, Fernando Marques, Frank Carsten Setzer, Bekir Karabucak

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Objective: To compare the shaping ability of the XP-endo Shaper (XPS) system to the ProTaper Next (PTN) system in oval-shaped distal root canals.

Methods: From 12 mandibular molars, distal roots with moderately curved single oval canals were randomly assorted to be instrumented with XPS (experimental group) or PTN (control group) and then scanned using micro-computed tomography [Scan 1]. The root canals of the XPS samples were prepared following the manufacturer's instructions using 15 insertions (XPS15) and rescanned [Scan 2]. An additional 10 insertions to the working length were applied, totalling 25 insertions (XPS25), and the roots were rescanned again [Scan …

Assessing The Use Of Smartphones In Agriculture, Katherine Mary Carpenter

Theses

Smartphones are an as yet untapped resource available to agriculture. They are ubiquitous across the globe yet have not previously been tested as a resource available to farmers. Imaging methods such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and satellite imaging have been well-explored and employed in various aspects of agriculture; however, such methods can be cost-prohibitive and at the mercy of another company or agency. If smartphones could be shown to capture color in such a way that relates in a quantifiable way to data measured by laboratory-grade equipment they could prove to be extremely valuable to farmers. Cutting out expensive …

A Deep Learning Classifier For Detecting Atrial Fibrillation In Hospital Settings Applicable To Various Sensing Modalities, Kamil Bukum

Theses

Cardiac signals provide variety of information related to the patient's health. One of the most important is for medical experts to diagnose the functionality of a patient’s heart. This information helps the medical experts monitor heart disease such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most major diseases that are threatening patients’ health. Medical experts measure cardiac signals usng the Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), the Photoplethysmogram (PPG), and more recently the Videoplethysmogram (VPG). Then they can use these measurements to analyze the heart functionality to detect heart diseases. In this study, these three major …

Exploration Of Dark Chemical Genomics Space Via Portal Learning: Applied To Targeting The Undruggable Genome And Covid-19 Anti-Infective Polypharmacology, Tian Cai, Li Xie, Muge Chen, Yang Liu, Di He, Shuo Zhang, Cameron Mura, Philip Boume, Lei Xie

Publications and Research

Advances in biomedicine are largely fueled by exploring uncharted territories of human biology. Machine learning can both enable and accelerate discovery, but faces a fundamental hurdle when applied to unseen data with distributions that differ from previously observed ones—a common dilemma in scientific inquiry. We have developed a new deep learning framework, called Portal Learning , to explore dark chemical and biological space. Three key, novel components of our approach include: (i) end-to-end, step-wise transfer learning, in recognition of biology’s sequence-structure-function paradigm, (ii) out-of-cluster meta-learning, and (iii) stress model selection. Portal Learning provides a practical solution to the out-of-distribution (OOD) …

Northern Bobwhite Occupancy Patterns On Multiple Spatial Scales Across Arkansas, Ellery V. Lassiter, Marcus Asher, Grace Christie, Connor Gale, Andrhea Massey, Cody Massery, Christopher R. Middaugh, John T. Veon, Brett A. Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus populations have been rapidly declining in the eastern, central, and southern United States for decades. Land use change and an incompatibility between northern bobwhite resource needs and human land use practices have driven declines. Here, we applied occupancy analyses on two spatial scales (state level and ecoregion level) to more than 5,000 northern bobwhite surveys conducted over 6 y across the entire state of Arkansas to explore patterns in occupancy and land use variables, and to identify priority areas for management and conservation. At the state level, northern bobwhite occupied 29% of sites and northern bobwhite …

The Influence Of Emotion Regulation And Neural Cognitive Control On Distress Tolerance, Alicia L. Milam

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Tolerance of negative emotions has been associated with transdiagnostic negative mental health outcomes. Theory and research implicate emotion regulation and cognitive control as factors in tolerance of negative emotions. But their unique contributions to tolerance of negative emotions and interdependency have been unclear due to methodological limitations. This study aimed to explicate cognitive and emotional factors affecting distress tolerance in a non-clinical sample of emerging adults. Undergraduate psychology students completed self-report measures of emotion regulation ability and tolerance of negative emotions. The N2 ERP component elicited by a Go-NoGo task was also used as a neurophysiological marker of cognitive control …

Mechanisms Of Stress Survival In Gram Positive Bacterial Pathogens, Asia Poudel

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria are not a well-characterized group but include many human pathogens that are resilient against stresses caused by the human immune system or by antibiotic treatment. This dissertation investigated the survival mechanisms of two clinically relevant Gram-positive organisms, Clostridioides difficile and Cutibacterium acnes under extracellular stresses. The response of the opportunistic skin pathogen Cutibacterium acnes to nanosecond electric pulses is characterized and found that growth in a biofilm, which usually protects bacteria from stress, renders this species more killable by this treatment. In addition, the stringent response (SR), a conserved bacterial stress survival mechanism, is studied in the …

Increasing High School Students’ Awareness Of The Effects Of Gender Stereotypes, Kelly Y. Shepherd

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Gender stereotypes can prevent many adolescents from exploring aspects of their identity. One reason being, gender stereotypes are reinforced in media and society on a daily basis, constantly reaffirming the beliefs of what a male and female should act and look like. These beliefs may cause an adolescent to make choices about their identity without thinking or questioning, which is known as identity foreclosure. As a result, adolescents may limit themselves academically or socially which might restrict future career paths and job opportunities. My capstone project focused on teaching adolescent Girl Scouts of California Central Coast how to identify, question, …

Out Of A Darkness: A Collection Of Ramblings, Short Stories, And Poetry, Valerie Anthony

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A Collection of Poetry, Short Stories and Ramblings

Modeling Recurrence In Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis With Mobile Peak Expiratory Flow, Kyle Kimura, Liping Du, Lynn D Berry, Li-Ching Huang, Sheau-Chiann Chen, David O Francis, Alexander Gelbard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: We sought to establish normative peak expiratory flow (PEF) data for patients with idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS), evaluate whether immediate changes in PEF after a procedure predict long-term treatment response, and test if a decline in longitudinal PEF is associated with disease recurrence.

STUDY DESIGN: International, prospective, 3-year multicenter cohort study of 810 patients with untreated, newly diagnosed, or previously treated iSGS.

METHODS: iSGS patients consented and enrolled in the North American Airway Collaborative (NoAAC) iSGS

RESULTS: Within the NoAAC iSGS1000 cohort, 810 patients participated in a 3-year, prospective study comparing surgical treatment efficacy and 385 had appropriate PEF …

Enzyme Kinetics, Molecular Docking, And In Silico Characterization Of Canary Seed (Phalaris Canariensis L.) Peptides With Ace And Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitory Activity, Uriel Urbizo-Reyes, Andrea M. Liceaga, Lavanya Reddivari, Kee-Hong Kim, Joseph M. Anderson

Department of Food Science Faculty Publications

The bioactivity of canary seed peptides (CSP) towards metabolism-regulating enzymes was evaluated. Peptides with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), and pancreatic lipase activity remained stable (p < 0.05) to simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD). CSP-SGD were transported efficiently (>10%) through the Caco-2 monolayer, indicating absorption through the intestinal epithelium. Lineweaver-Burk plots demonstrated that CSP-SGD act as mixed-type inhibitors for DPP-IV and α-glucosidase. Furthermore, CSP-SGD were potent as antihypertensive and antiobesity agents. Molecular docking and in silico analyses were targeted to understand CSP-SGD interactions with ACE and pancreatic lipase. ACE-inhibitory peptides (LHPQ, QTPHQ, KPVPR, and ELHPQ) acted as non-competitive inhibitors by destabilization of the transition state and Zn(II) coordination in …

Passive Immunity Trial For Our Nation (Passiton): Study Protocol For A Randomized Placebo-Control Clinical Trial Evaluating Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma In Hospitalized Adults, Wesley H. Self, Thomas G. Stewart, Allison P. Wheeler, Wissam El Atrouni, Amanda J. Bistran-Hall, Jonathan D. Casey, Vince D. Cataldo, James D. Chappell, Claudia S. Cohn, Jessica B. Collins, Mark R. Denison, Marjolein De Wit, Sheri L. Dixon, Abhijit Duggal, Terri L. Edwards, Magali J. Fontaine, Adit A. Ginde, Michelle S. Harkins, Thelma Harrington, Estelle S. Harris

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Convalescent plasma is being used widely as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the clinical efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma is unclear. Methods: The Passive Immunity Trial for Our Nation (PassITON) is a multicenter, placebo-controlled, blinded, randomized clinical trial being conducted in the USA to provide high-quality evidence on the efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma as a treatment for adults hospitalized with symptomatic disease. Adults hospitalized with COVID-19 with respiratory symptoms for less than 14 days are eligible. Enrolled patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to 1 unit (200–399 mL) of COVID-19 convalescent plasma that has …

Enhanced Drought Resistance Of Vegetation Growth In Cities Due To Urban Heat, Co2 Domes And O3 Troughs, Peng Fu, Leiqiu Hu, Elizabeth A. Ainsworth, Xiaonan Tai, Soe W. Myint, Wenfeng Zhan, Bethany J. Blakely, Carl J. Bernacchi

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

Sustained increase in atmospheric CO2 is strongly coupled with rising temperature and persistent droughts. While elevated CO2 promotes photosynthesis and growth of vegetation, drier and warmer climate can potentially negate this benefit, complicating the prediction of future terrestrial carbon dynamics. Manipulative studies such as free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments have been useful for studying the joint effect of global change factors on vegetation growth; however, their results do not easily transfer to natural ecosystems partly due to their short-duration nature and limited consideration of climatic gradients and potential confounding factors, such as O3. Urban environments serve as a useful …

Photosynthesis, Yield, Energy Balance, And Water-Use Of Intercropped Maize And Soybean, Elena A. Pelech, Brendan C.S. Alexander, Carl J. Bernacchi

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

By 2050, the U.S. Corn Belt will likely face a 23% increase in leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit (VPDL), the driving force of evapotranspiration (ET), which may restrict maize yield improvements for rainfed agroecosystems. Alternative cropping systems, such as maize and legume intercrops, have previously demonstrated yield and resource-use advantages over monocultures. In this study, the residual energy balance approach was used to gain insights into how an additive simultaneous maize and soybean intercrop system regulates ET and water-use efficiency (WUE) compared to standard maize and soybean monoculture systems of the U.S. Corn Belt. Experimental field plots were rain-fed and arranged …

Pan-Cancer Evaluation Of Gene Expression And Somatic Alteration Data For Cancer Prognosis Prediction, Xingyu Zheng, Christopher I. Amos, H. Robert Frost

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Over the past decades, approaches for diagnosing and treating cancer have seen significant improvement. However, the variability of patient and tumor characteristics has limited progress on methods for prognosis prediction. The development of high-throughput omics technologies now provides multiple approaches for characterizing tumors. Although a large number of published studies have focused on integration of multi-omics data and use of pathway-level models for cancer prognosis prediction, there still exists a gap of knowledge regarding the prognostic landscape across multi-omics data for multiple cancer types using both gene-level and pathway-level predictors. Methods: In this study, we systematically evaluated three often …

Measuring And Modeling Energy And Power Consumption In Living Microbial Cells With A Synthetic Atp Reporter, Yijie Deng, Douglas Raymond Beahm, Steven Ionov, Rahul Sarpeshkar

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy carrier in living organisms, critical for metabolism and essential physiological processes. In humans, abnormal regulation of energy levels (ATP concentration) and power consumption (ATP consumption flux) in cells is associated with numerous diseases from cancer, to viral infection and immune dysfunction, while in microbes it influences their responses to drugs and other stresses. The measurement and modeling of ATP dynamics in cells is therefore a critical component in understanding fundamental physiology and its role in pathology. Despite the importance of ATP, our current understanding of energy dynamics and homeostasis in living cells …

Genomic Epidemiology Of Methicillin-Resistant And -Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus From Bloodstream Infections, Joshua T. Smith, Elissa M. Eckhardt, Nicole B. Hansel, Tahmineh Rahmani Eliato, Isabella W. Martin, Cheryl P. Andam

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Bloodstream infections due to Staphylococcus aureus cause significant patient morbidity and mortality worldwide. Of major concern is the emergence and spread of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in bloodstream infections, which are associated with therapeutic failure and increased mortality. Methods: We generated high quality draft genomes from 323 S. aureus blood culture isolates from patients diagnosed with bloodstream infection at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, New Hampshire, USA in 2010–2018. Results: In silico detection of antimicrobial resistance genes revealed that 133/323 isolates (41.18%) carry horizontally acquired genes conferring resistance to at least three antimicrobial classes, with resistance determinants for aminoglycosides, beta-lactams …

Structural Analysis Of Cross Α-Helical Nanotubes Provides Insight Into The Designability Of Filamentous Peptide Nanomaterials, Fengbin Wang, Ordy Gnewou, Charles Modlin, Leticia C. Beltran, Chunfu Xu, Zhangli Su, Puneet Juneja, Gevorg Grigoryan, Edward H. Egelman, Vincent P. Conticello

Dartmouth Scholarship

The exquisite structure-function correlations observed in filamentous protein assemblies provide a paradigm for the design of synthetic peptide-based nanomaterials. However, the plasticity of quaternary structure in sequence-space and the lability of helical symmetry present significant challenges to the de novo design and structural analysis of such filaments. Here, we describe a rational approach to design self-assembling peptide nanotubes based on controlling lateral interactions between protofilaments having an unusual cross-α supramolecular architecture. Near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structural analysis of seven designed nanotubes provides insight into the designability of interfaces within these synthetic peptide assemblies and identifies a non-native structural interaction based on …

Coal Fly Ash Beneficiation For Reuse And Removal Of Boron, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, And Selenium In Wastewater Treatment., Joseph E. Cahill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

New regulations on coal-fired power plants make previously used wastewater treatment methods aimed to remove heavy metals obsolete. Therefore, there has been increased interest and investment into new technologies to treat coal-fired power plants effluent in the past few years. Traditionally, heavy metal removal technologies have been broken into three categories: physical, chemical or biological. However, with new regulations, each category by itself does not offer an ideal solution to removing acceptable concentrations of heavy metals found in the effluents at the coal-fired power plants. Here we report a novel proof-of-concept utilizing adsorption through ion-exchange/co-precipitation - chemical and physical - …

Scalable Synthesis Of Alumina Nanowires By Wet Chemical Method., Luis N Moreno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To satisfy an increasing demand for large-scale processes for producing alumina nanomaterials, a wet chemical method was evaluated. A potassium salt precursor was combined with aluminum to produce alumina – based nanowires. Compared with current methods such as thermal oxidation, sol-gel, and laser ablation, this method is highly scalable due to relatively low energy requirements and the ability to carry out the primary reaction under ambient conditions. The nanowire samples were evaluated using SEM, XRD, BET, and TEM to confirm morphology, phases present, and surface area. A porous nanowire structure was confirmed which has a BET surface area of 324.6 …

Update Of Multicellular Data Standard To Match Physicell "Compact" Output., Reid A Honeycutt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the field of multicellular biology, it is currently very difficult for researchers to share digital data, due to a lack of standards for said data. Each laboratory will collect data from a particular project, which will describe only the features relevant to their research, and then present that data using written descriptions, charts, graphs, and images. This makes it difficult for the data produced by these studies be leveraged in other research efforts by scientists studying similar phenomena. An open-source, universal standard that attempts to meet this need is the MultiCellular Data Standard (MultiCellDS). MultiCellDS is described as a …

Design Of A 300cm2 Pemfc Stack With Force And Cfd Simulation To Optimize Flow Channels, Gasket Design, And Clamping Forces., Robert M. Ench

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are important to the future of green energy as hydrogen can be made with green technologies and store energy for later use. Fuel cells can efficiently convert the hydrogen to electricity as needed. This study uses Solidworks simulation to make design improvements to the fuel cell before the prototype build stage of testing; this saves money and time by reducing the prototype builds needed.

In this study, a multi-channel serpentine design with two outlets versus a single outlet is evaluated using CFD to investigate pressure drop. Lower pressure drops are desirable as less energy input …

Solvent Engineering Of Molybdenum Disulfide Electrocatalyst For Hydrogen Evolution., Robert Carl Spalding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Energy is at an exponentially growing demand, and to keep up with these demands new technologies for renewable energy have received increased attention. Hydrogen plays a vital role in water electrolysis and fuel cells, as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the main step water splitting process. Most of the current electrocatalysts for HER are dominated by platinum and other precious metals due to their low over-potential and small Tafel slope, however, they are extremely costly. For this reason, cost-effective non-precious metal catalysts must be developed. Transition metal dichalcogenides, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), are abundant and have recently shown …

Computational Modeling Of 3d-Printed Lactobacillus-Antibiotic Scaffolds For Bacterial Vaginosis., Veeresh P. Rai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The standard treatment for bacterial vaginosis (BV) is currently antibiotics, such as metronidazole, clindamycin, or tinidazole. These antibiotics are highly effective in getting rid of bacteria in the female reproductive tract (FRT); however, there are some bacteria that provide benefits to the FRT which also get expunged. While there are many strains of bacteria that play a beneficial role in the FRT, lactobacilli are among the most important. These bacteria are responsible for maintaining a healthy environment in the FRT via pH regulation by lactic acid metabolism. Antibiotics eliminate all bacteria from an environment, including lactobacilli, and as a result, …

Estimating And Modeling Transpiration Of A Mountain Meadow Encroached By Conifers Using Sap Flow Measurements, Simon Joseph Marks

Master's Theses

Mountain meadows in the western USA are experiencing increased rates of conifer encroachment due to climate change and land management practices. Past research has focused on conifer removal as a meadow restoration strategy, but there has been limited work on conifer transpiration in a pre-restoration state. Meadow restoration by conifer removal has the primary goal of recovering sufficient growing season soil moisture necessary for endemic, herbaceous meadow vegetation. Therefore, conifer water use represents an important hydrologic output toward evaluating the efficacy of this active management approach. This study quantified and evaluated transpiration of encroached conifers in a mountain meadow using …

The Brown Bear Gut Microbiome: A Novel Tool For Conservation & Management, Sarah M. Trujillo

All NMU Master's Theses

Gut microbiomes (GMBs), complex communities of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of their hosts, perform countless micro-ecosystem services such as facilitating energy uptake and modulating immune responses. While scientists increasingly recognize the role GMBs play in host health, the role of GMBs in wildlife ecology and conservation has yet to be realized fully. Here, I use brown bears (Ursus arctos) as an ecological model to investigate (1) how both extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence GMB community membership and structure; and (2) the correlation between GMB membership and brown bear health metrics. To achieve these aims, I subsampled archived …

Trophic Ecology Of Juvenile Lean And Siscowet Lake Trout (Salvelinus Namaychush) From U.S. Waters Of Lake Superior, Will Otte

All NMU Master's Theses

In this study, I investigated the spatial overlap, diet similarity, and isotopic niches of juvenile Lean and Siscowet Lake Trout ecotypes across six ecoregions of Lake Superior. Spatially, Lean and Siscowet were observed in overlapping depth distributions. Leans were most abundant in shallow waters (60m). The greatest levels of cohabitation were observed in waters from 40-60m. Trophic position (as measured by δ 15N) was similar for both ecotypes at small sizes (mm), but Siscowet exhibited a higher trophic position than Lean Lake Trout at larger sizes (>400mm) and older ages (>5 years). Base of production (as measured by …

Caregivers’ Understanding Of Early Literature Expectations For Firstborn Children Entering Kindergarten, Kathleen England

All NMU Master's Theses

This qualitative phenomenological research was designed to develop an understanding of caregivers’ understanding of early literacy expectations for their firstborn or only child as they begin their kindergarten schooling. This study consisted of seven participants and six interviews with caregivers that enrolled their children in the Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic Schools in Southeast, MI. With the findings of this study, school administrators and researchers alike may be able to find a deeper understanding in efforts to support their families as they begin their educational careers and establish a solid foundation for further growth and development.