Digital Commons Network^™

Experiences Of Child Life Specialists Who Identify As Queer, Tori Hinton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Previous research shows that queer professionals experience underrepresentation, discrimination, harassment in the workplace (Kinitz et al., 2024; Ellsworth et al., 2020; Schatz & O’Hanlan, 1994; Eliason et al., 2011a; Katz-Wise et al., 2021). Across healthcare and psychosocial professions, queer professionals report discrimination, identity concealment, isolation and fears of professional repercussions related to disclosure. Such experiences are associated with decreased job satisfaction, increased stress, and barriers to career advancement (Cancela et al., 2024). Existing research on diverse child life specialists is limited and no published studies focus specifically on the experiences of queer child life specialists. One study by Gourley and …

Using Diffusion Mri To Relate Hippocampal Subfield Microstructure To Delayed Verbal Memory In Cognitively Intact Individuals At Genetic Risk For Developing Alzheimer's Disease, Jennapher Lingo Vangilder, Andrew Hooyman, Sasha Hakhu, Kurt G. Schilling, Leland S. Hu, Yuxiang Zhou, Richard J. Caselli, Leslie C. Baxter, Scott C. Beeman

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Intervention to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important treatment strategy but detecting at-risk individuals before significant disease progression remains challenging. This study evaluates the relationship between hippocampal microstructure and verbal cognition in cognitively intact older adults, focusing on the differences between APOΕ ε4 allele carriers and noncarriers. Participants (n = 41 noncarriers, 33 carriers) over 60 years old (mean ± SD: carriers 71 ± 6.6; noncarriers 71 ± 6.4 years) underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and volumetric assessments. We assessed hippocampal structure, including microstructure, using Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI), diffusion tensor …

Knowledge Creation And Information Sharing Through Open Education Resources, Dr. Sankar P

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials that anyone can use for studying, teaching, and learning because they are free to use and share. Textbooks, courses, multimedia, software, and tests are all examples of these resources. This way, everyone can get a good education, no matter where they live or how much money they have. Open Educational Resources (OER) make it easier for people all over the world to share and work on educational materials. This makes information available to more people and lowers the cost of materials. Programs like MIT OpenCourseWare make it possible for people to get free textbooks …

Functional And Structural Basis Of A Hypermorphic Trpc3 Variant, Briar Bell, Angela M Jaramillo-Granada, Luis O Romero, Irene A Gutierrez, Venkata K P S Mallampalli, Guizhen Fan, Sameer Varma, Matthew L Baker, Irina I Serysheva, Valeria Vásquez, Julio F Cordero-Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cerebellar ataxias are characterized by impaired motor coordination resulting from neuronal dysfunction within the cerebellum. The mechanisms underlying this pathology and its cerebellar-specific neurodegeneration remain unknown. We uncover how a gain-of-function canonical transient receptor potential member 3 (TRPC3) mutation, coupled with a cerebellum-specific isoform, stabilizes the channel’s open state, resists the leading inhibitor Pyr3, and drives calcium-dependent cell death. Restoring calcium homeostasis by expressing a Purkinje cell calcium pump improves cell viability. Transgenic expression of the TRPC3 hypermorphic variant in Caenorhabditis elegans induces neurodegeneration, confirming its pathogenicity across species. Cryo–electron microscopy and molecular simulations reveal the structural basis for the …

Social Isolation And Firearm Secure Storage In The Usa: Results From The 2022 Brfss, Alexander Testa, Daniel Semenza, Dylan B Jackson, Karyn Fu, Sandra Mckay, Kyle T Ganson, Jason M Nagata, Jack Tsai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Firearm secure storage (ie, storing firearms unloaded and locked) is recommended to reduce unintentional injuries and suicides. However, the relationship between psychological states, such as social isolation, and firearm secure storage practices is under-researched.

Methods: Data are from 7136 individuals with firearms in their households from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between social isolation and firearm storage.

Results: Among respondents, 71.6% reported storing firearms unloaded, 14.2% stored firearms loaded and locked and 14.2% stored firearms loaded and unlocked. Most respondents reported feeling 'never' (40.7%) or 'rarely' (33.3%) socially …

On The Concept Of Continuity In Bio-Art, Jie Xu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

As an innovative art phenomenon in the new century, bio-art has yet to receive in-depth academic exploration with regard to its presentations of the posthumanist view of “continuity” in life. First, the concept of continuity in bio-art is represented by life processes, inter-life, and Zoe. Second, practices in bio-art present a continuity between humans and non-humans, biological and digital entities, life and information, as well as living and non-living things, which redefines the essence of life and puts into practice a neo-vitalism. Third, the concept of continuity provides an ethical defense for the moral controversies triggered by bio-art. To spare …

Literature Reviews, Claire Stuyck

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Wing Length And Mass Ranges Of Resident Birds At Two Sites In Costa Rica, Cyndi M. Smith, Douglas M. Collister

North American Bird Bander

At two sites in Costa Rica, we banded 3,200 individuals of 137 resident species: 2,647 of 103 species at Las Caletas (2002-2008) and 553 of 66 species at La Selva (2011-2012). Thirty-three species were captured at both sites. We present summary statistics for wing length and body mass for 133 species. We analyze both metrics by sex class where sample sizes permit. Data are presented by species in three ways: (1) the interquartile range (IQR: range of the middle 50% of the data), (2) the range of all data, and (3) plus-or-minus two standard deviations (SD) of the mean (intended …

Assessing The Impact Of Lampenflora Growth On Invertebrate Distribution And Food Resource Use In Ryusen-Do Cave, Japan, Kazuhide Nakajima, Kanato Ando, Shuji Watanabe, Masuo Komukai

International Journal of Speleology

Subterranean spaces, such as caves with openings to the surface, represent unique environments characterized by limited resources derived from photosynthetic primary production. Consequently, organic inputs from organisms inhabiting above- and belowground habitats, such as bats, play a crucial role in maintaining cave ecosystems. However, in show caves converted into tourist attractions, environmental changes have progressed without sufficient ecological assessment. One important factor is the impact of photosynthetic organisms colonizing around artificial lights, known as lampenflora, on cave ecosystems. Lampenflora growth may influence invertebrate distribution and resource use; however, its impact on both aspects has been poorly evaluated. In this study, …

Comparative Effect Of Mineral, Organic, And Mixed Sunscreens Formulations On The Life History Of A Benthic Marine Invertebrate, Jacob Anthony Fox, Courtney Lott, Araceli Rodriguez-Romero, Gloria Massamba N'Siala

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Mineral and organic sunscreens are emerging anthropogenic pollutants in coastal marine waters and have been shown to affect marine invertebrates via genotoxicity, endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, and impacts on life-history traits, such as reduced survival, growth, and fecundity. Most experiments expose marine organisms to isolated UV filters, with fewer studies testing complete formulations, co-occurring exposure to organic and mineral sunscreens, or the modulating influence of format type on toxicity. In this experiment, we tested the impact of organic sunscreens (3% Avobenzone, 15% Homosalate, 5% Octinoxate, and 10% Octocylene) and 24% zinc oxide mineral sunscreens on the survival and fecundity of …

Effects Of Alk2 Deficiency On T Cell Fate And Regulatory T Cell Populations, Jalyn Reeves, Afia Salsabil Alam

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are central to immune tolerance, and their lineage stability is established during thymic development and maintained in the periphery through tightly regulated signaling networks. Members of the BMP receptor family have been implicated in T-cell differentiation, yet the specific role of the type I receptor ALK2 in shaping cell fate and sustaining the regulatory program remains unclear. To examine how ALK2 contributes to T-cell development, we generated ALK2-knockout murine chimeras and analyzed lymphoid populations from the thymus, spleen, and peripheral tissues. Thymocytes and lymphocytes were isolated and stained with antibody panels to identify developmental subsets and …

Interview With Orca Award Winner David Hage, Unl Chemistry; Drug-Protein Interactions, Mark Griep, David Hage

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Prof. David Hage was awarded the ORCA in 2018. He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. Next, he earned a doctorate from Iowa State University and did postdoctoral work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1989, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of chemistry and quickly rose through the ranks. He has won many awards and, for the past 13 years, has been the James Hewet University Professor of Chemistry. Allow me to share some remarkable facts about Dave before we get into …

Variable Responses To Surface Washing Methods Used On Euplatypus Compositus (Curculionidae: Platypodinae) Prior To Fungal Isolation, Connor Biser, Jiri Hulcr, Miranda Barnes, Seth Bybee

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Ambrosia beetles (Platypodinae and Scolytinae) are a group of weevils that burrow into the xylem of trees and inoculate symbiotic fungi. These fungi grow in the walls of their galleries and serves as the beetles’ food source.1 [Fig. 1] This system of symbiotic interaction is highly convergent, and some beetles carry plant pathogens.2 Understanding the community of fungi associated with ambrosia beetles can help us assess forest risks and describe evolutionary patterns. When isolating fungi from beetles, researchers often include a preliminary surface washing step to limit superficial contaminants from the surface of the beetle. There have been no comparisons …

Unlikely Relationships: Plant Growth Promotion With Fish Waste Microbes, Thomas W. Scharf, Brad Geary

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

1st Place - Open House Presentation

• Aiding plant growth is becoming more important as climate conditions continue changing in key wildlands and farmlands.
• Future Fresh Farms has created a product from fish waste, addressing this need.
• This study aimed to compare the outcomes of plants grown with MicroRevive, derived from fish waste, against plants grown with other growth promoting bacteria (PGPB).

Uncovering The Roles Of Environment And Phylogeny In The Expression Of A Shared Morphological Trait In Squamates, Austin Rejcek, Dylan Mcmullen, Logan Gren, Randy L. Klabacka

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Addressing the roles of adaptive and nonadaptive processes in trait evolution is a major focus of evolutionary biology

Recently, we observed an undescribed morphological trait on the eyelids of squamate lizards - AKA ''Palpebral combs'' (See photos)

This trait appears to be widespread within lguania, although there is consistent morphological variation between species of varying ecologies

The Role Of Nmda And Mglur5 Receptors On Hippocampal Depotentiation, J.H. Cummings, E. Sandberg, J.G. Edwards

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Depotentiation of LTP, the cellular mechanism of learning and memory, is thought to be the primary mechanism of forgetting.

Prior research in our lab investigated metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and its role in depotentiation and noted differences between males and females.

Preliminary data on NMDA receptors using AP5 (an antagonist) identified interesting findings, though n values are too low currently to draw conclusions.

Species Dynamics And Potential Invasion In The Restored Streams Of East Maui, Hannah Breinholt, Isabelle Hunter, Sarah Cole, Seth M. Bybee, Rachel L. Wood

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

100+ years of water diversions in East Maui disrupted this connectivity, threatening native species and their habitat

In 2018, stream flow was restored to 22 streams

Endemic amphidromous fish in East Maui streams depend on intact flow from mountains to sea (mauka-to-makai) and are especially vulnerable to habitat disruption and isolation [1]

Has stream restoration enabled native fish species to recolonize or has it created openings for non-native species?

Shoot Apical Meristem Size And Inflorescence Morphology In Gilia, Madeleine Glover, Clinton Whipple

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Gilia, a genus of wildflower native to the western United States, is a promising new model for evolutionary developmental biology. Two closely related Gilia species, G. capitata and G. yorkii, are able to produce a fertile hybrid, though they differ in many morphological features, including inflorescence architecture. G. capitata has a tight capitate inflorescence with a high solitary flower number, while G. yorkii has a much more open inflorescence, with a solitary flower number of one. Analysis of shoot apical meristem (SAM) size in relationship with solitary flower number (SFN) will provide a deeper understanding of the evolution of this …

Self-Reported Longest-Held Occupation Type In Relation To Epilepsy In Late Life: A Pooled Cohort Analysis Of Incidence And Prevalence, Daniel Guerrero Gutierrez, Sofia Pelagalli Maia, Hyunmi Choi, Jose Gutierrez, Natalie Bello, Mary L. Biggs, Emily M. Briceño, James F. Burke, Lisandro D. Colantonio, Mitchell S.V. Elkind, Annette L. Fitzpatrick, Christopher Gonzalez, Alden L. Gross, Lei Huang, Emily L. Johnson, W. Craig Johnson, Cheng-Shiun Leu, Deborah A. Levine, Minghua Liu, W.T. Longstreth Jr., Richard P. Mayeux, Sylwia Misiewicz, Dolly Reyes-Dumeyer, Tatjana Rundek, Danurys Sanchez, Steven J. Shea, Tian Wang, Carolyn W. Shu, Evan L. Thacker

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Epilepsy in late life is influenced by biological, behavioral, social and environmental factors

Lifetime occupation type may capture socioeconomic, environmental, and long-term physical exposures relevant to brain health (e.g., manual labor, stress levels, neurotoxic exposures) that could influence neurological aging

Seizure Propagation And How Ketones May Help Mitigate Harmful Effects, Jacob Wassmer, Melissa L. Blotter, Isaac Stubbs, R. Ryley Parrish

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Status epilepticus (SE) is a seizure state characterized by continuous ictal activity lasting over 5 minutes. SE frequently becomes unresponsive to frontline antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), resulting in refractory status epilepticus (RSE), a neurological medical emergency with a mortality rate as high as 38% in some studies. To assess how SE develops over time, we have characterized an ex vivo brain slice SE model using a high-resolution multi-electrode recording system. The system contains over 4000 electrodes with less than 60μM of space in between each electrode. With this unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, we have identified key features of SE that …

Research Process Toward The Creation Of Transgenic Beetles, Abraham B. Alton, Nathan Dauk, Jonah Jex, Brian D. Jensen, Sandra Hope

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Honorable Mention - Poster Design

Create a generalizable, reliable, and efficient procedure for insect genetic modification.

Insects born parasitic diseases such as malaria cause hundreds of millions of deaths each year. Many of these diseases could be eliminated if we had a reliable method for genetically modifying insects.

Potential Role Of Atr In Slower Aids Progression Associated With Hiv-1 Vpr Mutant R77q, Ava Wilstead, Sidney T. Sithole, Bradford K. Berges

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

HIV-1 typically induces necrotic T cell death, resulting in chronic inflammation that drives Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) progression. However, mutations in viral protein R (Vpr) are associated with altered disease outcomes. The HIV-1 Vpr mutant R77Q is linked to individuals that do not progress to AIDS without treatment, termed a longterm non-progressor (LTNP). The Berges lab has shown that R77Q infection results in reduced overall cell death compared to wild-type (WT) virus, while inducing increased apoptotic cell death.

Muscle Transplants: Science Fiction Or Modern Medicine?, Erastus Evans, Mason Kephart, Benjamin Long, Jake Sorensen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

The loss of skeletal muscle from trauma or surgery results in limited regeneration and long-term dysfunction. Muscle transplants replenish lost cellular and structural tissue to improve healing and recovery of strength. Juvenile tissue offers a promising alternative to adult tissue due to the increased satellite cell and myofiber content.

Meta Analysis Of The Riverine Barrier Hypothesis In Mainland Southeast Asia, Gavin Kohl, Christian Furness, Eleanor Savage, Perry Van Wagoner, Randy Klabacka

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Understanding the drivers of biodiversification is an important objective in evolutionary biology

Yet much is still unknown regarding the mechanisms that drive biodiversity in species

Identifying barriers between lineages is a viable approach to discovering potential drivers

Iron Nutrition In Hydroponically Grown Quinoa, Ezra A. Larsen, Daniel L. Lamb, Shannon V. Nelson, Geneva M. Bell, Bryan G. Hopkins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

• Iron (Fe) deficiency is a global health challenge
• Fe is an essential plant nutrient and limiting factor for many food crops
• Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a nutrient dense pseudocereal, is of growing importance for food security
• Quinoa is often grown in alkaline soil, where Fe is particularly limiting
• An improved understanding of how Fe affects quinoa growth could improve yields and help increase dietary iron intake

Investigating The Role Of Tnf In Hiv-1 Infected Cell Death, Brennan B. Wells, Sidney Sithole, Bradford Berges

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

HIV-1 is the causative agent of the terminal disease AIDS. Clinical studies have determined that patients infected with a mutant of HIV-1, Vpr-R77Q, do not progress towards AIDS. Subsequently, our lab has discovered two notable differences between the Vpr- R77Q variant and WT HIV-1: increased levels of apoptosis in infected cells (which is thought to contribute to the lack of AIDS progression), and decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines, namely Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). The purpose of this ongoing experiment is to investigate the potential inverse correlation between TNF levels and apoptosis levels through the introduction of additional TNF cytokines to …

Investigating The Mechanisms Of Yersinia Ruckeri Inhibition By A New Strain Of Pseudomonas Fjordensis, Kyler Linton, David Erickson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Pacific freshwater fish are less likely than Atlantic freshwater fish to exhibit Enteric Redmouth Disease (ERM), or Yersiniosis as caused by Yersinia ruckeri. Based on the hypothesis that these fish may harbor commensal bacteria that inhibit Y. ruckeri growth, I isolated many kinds of commensal bacteria from fish intestines collected from Alaska and local streams. In previous studies, I have isolated novel bacteria capable of expressing inhibitory activity against Y. ruckeri via co-culture experiments. One of these bacteria is a strain of Pseudomonas fjordensis. Through genome-wide mutagenesis techniques, a possible gene has been unveiled that may be contributing to this …

Interactive Effects Of Salinity And Glyphosate On Wetland Soil Microbial Communities, Ryan Mortensen, Madison Brown, Rachel Wood

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Wetland soil microbes play an important role in maintaining ecosystem health by cycling nutrients, breaking down organic matter, and maintaining water quality. Herbicide exposure has been shown to alter the genetic composition and functional potential of soil microbial communities, including shifts in microbial nutrient cycling processes [1].

Two of the most prominent environmental stressors in Utah’s wetlands are excessive salinity and herbicide exposure. Increased salinity can change how herbicides move and persist in water, which may influence their ecological effects [2]. While each stressor has been studied independently, little is known about their combined effects on soil microbial community structure …

In Silico Studies Of Hiv-1 Vpr R77q Mutant’S Structure And Stability, Linnea Mason, Sidney T. Sithole, Bradford K. Berges

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus that infects CD4+ T cells. Without treatment, infection with HIV-1 usually leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is characterized as severe immunosuppression (CD4+ count: < 200cells/mm3 of blood). However, some individuals do not advance to AIDS and are known as long-term non-progressors (LTNP). Interestingly, a small viral protein of HIV-1, called viral protein R (Vpr), has been associated with HIV-1 progression. The R77Q mutant has been linked to the LTNP phenotype and increased levels of apoptosis; however, the mechanisms behind it are not yet understood [1]. Previously, our group has found that Vpr was expressed at lower levels in cells infected with R77Q virus compared to the wildtype (WT) virus by western blot [1]. Image quantification of the bands showed an approximate six-fold reduction in protein levels.

Genetic And Morphological Comparison Between Introduced And Native Populations Of Aspidocelis Neomexicanus, Sadie Hale, Jordan Kirk, Arianna Moore, Perry Van Wagoner, Vicente Fernández Lara, Angelina Romero, Dallin Matthews, Álvaro Osuna Jiménez, Reagan Mckee, Randy Klabacka

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

The introduction of non-native species to novel ecosystems can have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and human health.

Understanding the processes driving patterns in dispersion, establishment, and expansion of introduced species can illuminate strategies to reduce the occurrence of introduction and mitigate its effects.

The New Mexico Whiptail (Aspidoscelis neomexicanus) is a parthenogenetic (asexually-reproducing) species of lizard in the family Teiidae.