Digital Commons Network^™

Construction And Characterization Of An Rf Anechoic Range, Logan Gentry

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Anechoic RF ranges are electromagnetically quiet spaces intended to provide conditions suitable for testing and classifying electronic equipment. Typically, ranges are constructed indoors, which presents a number of design challenges related to room geometry, cost, and material selection. This report describes the creation of an indoor anechoic range intended for characterization of antennas. Furthermore, the range is characterized for performance across a wide range of discrete frequencies in the UHF band according to CISPR standards, resulting in the determination of a lower frequency limit at which the room performance begins to degrade. The characterization of this range agrees with far-field …

Managing Graphical Fidelity With Stylized Shaders For Independent Game Development, Benjamin A. Edens

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper outlines work performed by the author within the Unity3D game engine to gain preliminary experience with technical art implementation and suggests design choices that could be useful to other students or independent game developers to manage complexity within their games while maintaining visual appeal. The final product of the discussed project is a small game consisting of an outdoor urban city environment as well as an interior aquarium environment. This paper begins with the author’s motivations and goals for the project before describing the implementation of specific aspects of technical art, including 3D modeling, rigging, animation, level design, …

May 1, 2025 Rebel Guide, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak Preparedness In The United States: A Scoping Review, Emma J. Gurley

Honors Theses

In order to gauge preparedness for an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in the United States, a scoping review of the current literature was conducted. This process involved (1) identifying the research question, (2) identifying studies relevant to the topic, (3) selecting studies for inclusion (4) charting the data, and (5) analyzing and reporting the final data. Ultimately, seventeen studies were deemed appropriate for examination within this scoping review and several key themes were identified. The results emphasize the importance of adopting a One Health approach, the key role that vaccination may well play in preventing the spread …

Biochar And Manure Levels: Impact On Selected Soil Hydro-Physical Parameters And Sorghum Canopy Temperature, Catana Faison

All Theses

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) enhances crop yields and maintains healthy soils while also contributing to strategies that mitigate climate change. One of the main aspects of CSA is its impact on soil and environmental conditions, such as structural stability, moisture retention, temperature regulation, and canopy development, which are fundamental to sustainable crop production and land management. Soil organic amendments, e.g., biochar, and chicken and dairy manure applications, substantially improve soil hydrological properties and structure. This thesis reports on the impact of three organic amendment types and rates on selected soil hydrological and physical properties, including water holding capacity, heat capacity, aggregate …

Decoding The Algorithm: The Mathematics Behind Tiktok’S Short-Form Content Success, Ashley N. Lynch

Honors Scholar Theses

Within the realm of social networks, TikTok has become the central hub for short-form video content. The network’s unique ability to capture individual preferences using predictive analytics has greatly contributed to its massive success, allowing the company to optimize its performance and content personalization. In an age where digital media have such a significant influence on society, it is essential that users develop an understanding of how social network algorithms function to make more informed online decisions. Although TikTok’s technological system is primarily undisclosed, the platform certifiably leverages several key mathematical principles within its algorithm to achieve its core goals …

Multisensory Design: Fostering Calm Environments Through Architecture, Carson David Mennen

Architecture Theses

This thesis explores the role of multisensory design in addressing sensory overstimulation within the built environment. Modern architecture’s focus on visual appeal often results in spaces that are uninviting, overwhelming, and disconnected from human sensory needs. By investigating elements such as the senses, materiality, lighting, spatial arrangement, and acoustics, among other factors, this research aims to demonstrate how these factors can work cohesively to create calming, human-centered spaces that reduce stress and promote well-being. Using literature from key theorists such as Juhani Pallasmaa and studies conducted on user responses to various architectural materials, the research identifies design strategies that evoke …

The Effects Of Climate Change On The Spread Of Mosquito-Borne Diseases, Lauren Provoncha, Sarah Franta, Portia Lawrence

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This paper examines the impact of climate change on the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, focusing on how rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events influence mosquito habitats and disease transmission. It explores the ecological and public health implications of these shifts and highlights the importance of understanding climate-disease dynamics to inform effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Ecological Consequences Of Variable Glacial Melting On Arctic Biodiversity: Trophic Shifts And Community Dynamics, Aislyn Malone, Audrey Swart

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Our project investigated the profound impacts of increasing glacial melting on various trophic levels, habitats, and other ecological processes.

Psychology Across The Spectrum: Self-Regulation And Emotional Control In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Oswald

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This paper explores the complex relationship between self-regulation, emotional control, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), emphasizing the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional challenges autistic individuals often face. Drawing on contemporary research, it highlights how self-regulation is linked to cognitive and language development, while difficulties in emotional control can result in increased behavioral problems and mental health issues. The paper examines the dual role of behaviors like stimming—both as coping mechanisms and as forms of authentic self-expression—and addresses the tension between traditional behavioral interventions such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and emerging neurodiversity-affirming practices. This paper also discusses the neurodiversity movement, noting …

Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Algorithm Based On Hypersoft Set For Civil Litigation Efficiency Evaluation In The Context Of Artificial Intelligence, Feng Xue

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

A Navajo Corpus Of Historical Narratives, Lukas Denk, Melvatha R. Chee

A Navajo Corpus of Historical Narratives

The Navajo Corpus of Historical Narratives is a digital compilation of morphologically annotated narratives. They were first published by Robert W. Young and William Morgan in the 1950’s in the volumes Navajo Historical Selections (1954) and The Trouble at Round Rock (1952). Nine out of 28 narratives are included in the corpus, totaling over 10,000 Navajo words. The corpus contributes to the understanding of the Navajo language by offering interlinear glosses of words, morphemes, morphs, and a free translation. These different interlinear tiers bridge the gap between the original Navajo text and the free translation provided by Young and Morgan, …

An Empirical Study On The Economic And Policy Drivers Of Livestock Risk Protection Utilization, Milan Chauhan

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

Federally supported risk management programs for livestock producers have existed for the last twenty years. Among these, Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) is a federally subsidized insurance tool available for cattle producers to manage downside price risk. In recent years, participation in LRP has surged. This paper examines the key economic and policy variables that partially drive LRP utilization and analyzes the role of risk management educational efforts in the decision to participate and the intensity of the insurance utilization using unique state-level panel data from 2003 through 2023.

The study analyzes three complementary metrics of insurance utilization: market volume (policies …

Treading Lightly: The Ethics Of Instructor Il/Legibility And Neutrality In The Classroom, Marcus A. Woodman

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors in the classroom often describe their experiences teaching as being a performance, which often combines authenticity with boundaries to keep certain aspects of the instructor’s life out of the classroom. For queer instructors, their performance may be especially complicated; since queer identity is less visible than other types of identities, instructors must also weigh whether or not to come out to their students. In our current political moment, where queerness has yet again become a scrutinized topic (especially when in proximity to youth), teachers have an even more difficult decision to make.

This thesis uses queer theory and queer …

Walleye And Sauger Movement And Entrainment In Lewis And Clark Lake, William Joseph Radigan

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

Walleye Sander vitreus and Sauger Sander canadensis are both socioeconomically important sportfish species in Lewis and Clark Lake, an interjurisdictionally managed mainstem Missouri River reservoir fishery. Since 2011, adult catch per unit effort (CPUE) of both Walleye and Sauger has remained at approximately 50% of pre-2011 levels. A presumed reason for the suppressed CPUE of adult Walleye and Sauger is substantial entrainment of larval and adult fish resulting from the reservoir’s high turnover rate (7.2 d). Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify adult movement and entrainment and ichthyoplankton trawls were used to assess larval entrainment. Relative importance of factors driving …

Illustrating Insects: Using Art To Encourage Experiences In Entomology, Nia Kaufmann

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of this creative project is to use art to highlight the diversity of our insect neighbors and encourage others to explore their local environments. In order to accomplish this, I created a poster-sized illustration of five insects I’ve encountered on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s City Campus. All insects are posted within the silhouette of Memorial Stadium, each with an ecological and personal significance. The contrast of a well-known building with less popular insects invokes the audience to reconsider how much attention they pay to the wilderness around them.

Keywords: Entomology, Natural Biodiversity, Illustration, Insects, Appreciation of Nature

Chipotle Mexican Grill Strategic Audit: An Analysis Of Chipotle Mexican Grill Business Strategy, Garrett Smith, Karissa Hodge, Baden Brumbaugh, Daniel Koland, Ellie Hurst

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This report outlines a strategic audit of Chipotle Mexican Grill and its business strategy and policies. The report dives into how Chipotle creates strategic value and competes in the fast-casual food industry. Chipotle’s strategic mission, Cultivate A Better World, motivates them to focus on sustainable practices involving farming, emissions, and water stewardship. Despite facing issues involving health concerns, Chipotle has recovered and positioned itself in a strong position for the near future. With its new CEO, Scott Boatwright, Chipotle has to navigate a crowded fast casual industry that faces market pressures from consumers around healthy eating.

A Case Study On Readiness Of Engineers In Agricultural Technology Start-Ups, Katie Marie Mowat

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

This dissertation explores the perceptions of practicing engineers regarding the skills necessary to be workforce-ready at agricultural technology (ag-tech) start-ups in the Midwestern United States. A qualitative case study methodology is leveraged, combining both interview and job description data. Given their uniqueness, the study divides the ag-tech start-up industry into two subcases: livestock and cropping systems. The Work Readiness Integrated Competence Model (WRICM) is used as the theoretical framework for this study and informs the conceptual framework and analysis processes. The study identified skills that fit into thirteen distinct categories, which are further grouped into four overarching resource groups. Skills …

Gene Editing Approaches To Improving Grain Amino Acid Profiles In Maize And Sorghum, Joseph Preston Hurst

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

Maize grain is deficient in lysine. While the opaque2 mutation increases grain lysine, o2 is a transcription factor that regulates a wide network of genes beyond zeins, which leads to pleiotropic and often negative effects. Additionally, the drastic reduction in 19kDa and 22kDa alpha-zeins causes a floury kernel, unsuitable for agricultural use. Sorghum, closely related to maize, has a similar lack of lysine that can be corrected with prolamin alteration and also subject to the same deleterious kernel texture. CRISPR/cas9 gives researchers the ability to directly target genes of interest. In this research, gene editing was used to specifically target …

Environmental Effects On Preweaning Calf Health, Lindsay L. Waechter-Mead

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Neonatal calf health is an important factor in the productivity and profitability in the beef cattle industry, influencing preweaning survival, growth, and long-term performance. The overall objective of this thesis is to characterize risk factors that contribute to health issues in young beef calves. The first objective is to review literature exploring the environmental factors affecting preweaning morbidity and mortality, including hypothermia, precipitation, and wind. Management strategies such as the effect of environmental conditions of calving location, body condition score in dams at parturition, and the impacts of dystocia on calf health will also be discussed. Gaps in current research …

“Re-Storying” Anne Shirley And The Adhd Child: A Crip Genealogy Of Anne Of Green Gables, Darian Aleyna Wilson

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the contested nature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on its cultural and historical constructions. While ADHD has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980, its legitimacy remains a subject of debate across medical, disability studies, and historical scholarship. Using Eli Clare’s critique of diagnosis as a tool rather than a fact, this project examines how ADHD is both pathologized and re-storied within societal and medical discourses. It highlights the tension between medical classifications and lived experiences of those diagnosed with ADHD, particularly in the context of girlhood.

The central …

Reading Tipu's Tiger: Hybridity And The Sound Of A Silenced Roar, Sarah M. Jackson

Theses

Tipu’s Tiger, a powerful artifact at the nexus of colonialism, cultural preservation, and museum practices, serves as a unique case study of shifting historical interpretations. Originally crafted in Mysore, India as a symbol of resistance against British colonial forces, the object was later repurposed as a trophy of empire. This dual role embodies the tensions central to postcolonial theory, where the meanings of cultural artifacts shift depending on the context in which they are placed. Through the lens of Homi Bhabha’s theory of hybridity, Tipu’s Tiger is understood as a hybrid object, reflecting the complex liminal space between its …

Agent-Based Modeling For Faulty System Analysis, Jayden G. Hamilton

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Numerous approaches exist for computational modeling of complex, dynamic systems. One particular option is the use of agent-based modeling, which simulates the behavior of numerous autonomous agents interacting with each other and with the system at large. Current agent-based modeling research has largely focused on studying the system level behavior of a model, as this is generally the main concern for any real world application. However, the characteristics and behaviors of agents deserves consideration as well. The issue with this area of interest lies in the fact that the agent data cannot be as quickly obtained and analyzed as system …

Implications Of Acetylation And Phosphorylation On Metabolic Enzymes, Nour Fatema

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

All living things depend on glycolysis and the TCA cycle for energy production and metabolic control. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as acetylation and phosphorylation, which can change enzyme activity, substrate binding, and overall metabolic balance, tightly regulate these pathways. Diseases like cancer and metabolic problems are associated with disruptions in these alterations.

Serine phosphorylation and lysine acetylation are two of the many PTMs that are evolutionarily conserved processes that alter protein function. Previously thought to be a static histone alteration, acetylation is now understood to be a dynamic regulator of metabolic enzymes that modifies contacts, charge, and conformation. In response …

Sustainable Agriculture Through Data-Driven Land And Soil Management For Rural Farming Communities, Peggy Clareece Discenza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis aims to investigate sustainable farming practices by utilizing a database containing soil, weather, and water data. Additionally, it evaluates cropping strategies using a system that incorporates nutrient dynamics and environmental values. The objective is to monitor, develop predictive models, and assess the impact of both controlled and uncontrolled nutrient variables. This is achieved through the development of an algorithm that provides information on soil health based on datasets and land use, with a particular focus on residual values after harvesting for deeper analytical insights and interpretation. This study focuses on key nutrients, including pH levels, water availability, and …

Resistance Exercise And Mechanical Overload Upregulate Vimentin For Skeletal Muscle Remodeling, Joshua S. Godwin, J. Max Michel, Cleiton A. Libardi, Andreas N. Kavazis, Christopher S. Fry, Andrew D. Frugé, Mariah Mccashland, Ivan J. Vechetti, John J. Mccarthy, C. Brooks Mobley, Michael D. Roberts

Physiology Faculty Publications

We adopted a proteomic and follow-through approach to investigate how mechanical overload (MOV) potentially affects novel targets in skeletal muscle, and how a perturbation in this response could potentially affect the adaptive response. First, we determined that 10 wk of resistance training in 15 college-aged females increased sarcolemmal-associated protein content (+10.1%, P < 0.05). Sarcolemmal protein isolates were then queried using mass spectrometry-based proteomics, ∼10% (38/387) of proteins putatively associated with the sarcolemma or extracellular matrix (ECM) were upregulated (>1.5-fold, P < 0.05), and one target (intermediate filament vimentin; VIM) warranted further investigation due to its correlation to myofiber hypertrophy (r = 0.652, P = 0.009). VIM expression was then examined in 4-mo-old C57BL/6J mice following 10 and 20 days of plantaris MOV via synergist ablation. Relative to Sham (control) mice, VIM mRNA and protein content was significantly higher in MOV mice, and immunohistochemistry indicated that VIM predominantly resided in the ECM. MOV experiments were replicated in Pax7-DTA (satellite cell depleted) mice, which reduced VIM in the ECM by ∼74%. A third MOV experiment was performed in C57BL/6 mice intramuscularly injected with either AAV9-scrambled (control) or AAV9-VIM-shRNA. Although VIM-shRNA mice possessed lower VIM in the ECM (∼45%), plantaris masses in response to MOV were similar between groups. However, VIMshRNA mice possessed smaller and more centrally nucleated MyHCemb-positive fibers in response to MOV. In summary, skeletal muscle VIM appears to be enriched in the ECM following MOV, satellite cells may regulate its expression, and a disruption in expression during MOV leads to an excessive regenerative phenotype.

Course Insight Portfolio: Math 1060 Calculus Of One Variable I, Julianne Barnhart, Rayna Elizabeth Maleki, Antsa Rakotondrafara

Publications

We presented this Course Insight Portfolio project as a final assignment for the class Teaching Undergraduate Math MATH 9700 in Summer 2025. It covers the Clemson class MATH 1060 Calculus of One Variable I and is a fruit of the collaborative work of Julianne Barnhart, Rayna Maleki, and Antsa Rakotondrafara.

Fluff Puff, Emerald Jiang, Special Collections, Fleet Library

12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2026

Entry for the 12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, 1st Floor Main Reading Room. Juror: Gabrielle Reed.

A Taste Of Rhetoric: Moves & Practices In The Decolonization & Restoration Of Historic Foodways, Abby A. Laforest

All NMU Master's Theses

Language and rhetoric are foundational influences on cultural practices, including culinary ones. The subdiscipline of food rhetoric studies communication about the processes of eating, cooking, transporting, and trading food, especially within the cultures of historically marginalized peoples. The past decades have seen a profusion of academic food research, but the role of language in understanding food, especially in a multicultural, globalized world, remains understudied. This paper examines how three rhetorical theories foundational to identity formation and layered understandings of meaning – (a) Dr. Karen Barad’s (they/them) theory of posthumanist performativity, (b) Dr. Maurice Charland’s theory of constitutive rhetoric, and (c) …

Motherhood Within The Patriarchal Family: An Analysis Of “Frankenstein” And “The Scarlet Letter”, Yasamin Osqueezadeh

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Being a pivotal period in Western feminist history, the literary community in the 18^th century introduced pioneering feminists, the most famous of which is Mary Wollstonecraft, who called for a feminist revolution with A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Following the publication of A Vindication of the Rights of Women and other subsequent feminist papers, are Mary Shelley’s 1818 Frankenstein and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 The Scarlet Letter, two renowned pieces of Gothic literature. Although the two novels may seem disconnected, both Frankenstein and The Scarlet Letter engage in feminist arguments and critiques of the patriarchy in …