Digital Commons Network^™

The Long Shadow Of Food Lion, Knight First Amend. Inst. (May 31, 2024), Alan K. Chen

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

This essay discusses the continuing shadow of Food Lion, Inc. v. Capital Cities/ABC, Inc., which looms over the efforts of journalists and, increasingly of other citizens, to engage in undercover investigations to discover and disseminate truthful information on matters of profound public concern. At a time when many impediments to freedom of the press have emerged, legal barriers to undercover investigations suppress a key newsgathering tool that was once an important part of the news media ecosystem. After describing the extensive litigation battle in the case, the essay argues that the decision continues to cast a chilling effect over journalists …

Utilizing Students’ Technological Knowledge To Develop Critical Reading Skills And Digital Literacy Identities, Rosemarie Mcgraw

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore how teachers can purposefully integrate and connect students’ digital literacy funds of knowledge into in-school digital literacy meaning making to enhance critical reading and thinking, and how it supports students’ development of their digital literacy identity. The theories that guided this thesis were from New London Group, Freire, Gee, Knobel, and Lankshear. This was a qualitative research study that collected data from surveys, interviews, observations, and student work samples. Over the course of the study, students participated in a controlled choice research unit. Throughout the study, students received specific instruction on how to use multiliteracies …

Long Time No See: New Reports Of Legua Rosea Amédégnato And Poulain, 1986 (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Romaleidae: Romaleinae: Leguini), A Rare Arboreal Grasshopper From Brazil, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Renan Da Silva Olivier, Larissa Lima De Queiroz, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira, Jardel Boscardin, Guilherme Rabelo D’Angelis

Insecta Mundi

The genus Legua Walker, 1870 comprises only two known species from Central America and Brazil, with a notable scarcity of collected specimens. Herein, we provide a new contribution to our knowledge of the distribution of Legua rosea Amédégnato and Poulain, 1986 (Romaleinae: Leguini), that has a restricted distribution in Brazil, based on entomological collection data and social media information. Our records emphasize the importance of natural history collections and new tools for biodiversity studies.

ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:17E0802B-A389-4983-AC74-21B51197F557

Flexible And Rigid Endoscopic Evaluation Of In Vivo Rabbit Larynges: A Pilot Study, Shauntel Mei Li Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the comparability of flexible endoscopy to rigid endoscopy in the examination of rabbit vocal folds in vivo. This work was conducted within a larger parent project that has investigated the adverse effects of combination inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) on voice function in animal models and humans. In this study, both flexible and rigid vocal fold imaging was performed on eight rabbits; four having received ICs and four that were from control conditions. Original recordings were examined frame-by-frame to identify similar views, zoomed in and zoomed out, for flexible and rigid samples. Images were …

Arqueologia E História Indígena Na Perspectiva Dos Wai Wai: Um Povo Caribe Das Guianas, Jaime Xamen Wai Wai, Ruben Caixeta De Queiroz

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Este trabalho, inicialmente, apresenta uma breve discussão sobre as novas arqueologias indígenas, seu método e sua relação com os conhecimentos tradicionais. Com base na história oral dos Wai Wai, um povo caribe das Guianas, apresentamos as aldeias antigas situadas ao longo do rio Kikwo e os lugares importantes e presentes na memória do povo wai wai. Consideramos que não somente os artefatos arqueológicos são marcadores das culturas indígenas, mas também as paisagens e os espíritos às quais estão associados. Neste artigo, de modo extensivo, recorremos aos relatos de um ancião, Poriciwi Wai Wai, que menciona festas celebradas nas aldeias antigas, …

Women’S Routes: Gender, Mobility, And Knowledge Among The Makushi Of Southern Guyana, Lisa Katharina Grund

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Exploring the journeys of some Makushi women, this article highlights the relevance of gender in the question of (im)mobility and female engagements with the world as central to contemporary Makushi life. Departing from the understanding that the category of space has proven crucial in the theoretical groundwork of the Guiana ethnographic area and drawing on the region’s classical ethnographies, it explores everyday practices of movement of the Makushi people who live along the triple frontier of southern Guyana. Rather than disruptive, these in and out journeys—collective or individual—prove to be crucial to the weaving of community. They are also central …

Propagating Conviviality: Waiwai Cultural Transformation Of Moral Depravity, George F. Mentore

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This essay considers the problematics of anthropological translations when its responsibility to the codes of its modernist subjectivity persuades us to defer judgment on interpretations made of indigenous semiotics of life. It begins with this full disclosure before attempting to describe, from a translation of a Waiwai myth, how one can produce a guilty reading about their privileging of concern for conviviality. The Waiwai bodily feeling of well-being must be in place before relations of trust can be enacted. Transforming the vial aggressive feelings of strangers becomes a priority for hosting them. Maintaining feelings of conviviality within the community is …

Kita Vai À Kwamalasamutu, Fabio Ribeiro

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No contexto de uma série de encontros entre pessoas zo'é e tiriyó na região da fronteira Brasil-Suriname, o presente artigo aborda a experiência de Kita, jovem zo’é que em 2010 viajou com alguns chefes e pastores tiriyó e permaneceu na aldeia Kwamalasamutu, no sul do Suriname, por alguns meses. A partir de dois relatos de Kita, procuro seguir as múltiplas conexões por ele mobilizadas e articulá-las a problemas relevantes da etnologia das Guianas. Seguindo a proposta metodológica de S. Oakdale (2007) no sentido de ancorar a “economia simbólica da alteridade” em autobiografias ameríndias, o objetivo é imbricar a crônica de …

A Música Na Tradição Indígena Wai Wai, Roque Yaxikma Wai Wai, Ruben Caixeta De Queiroz

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Este trabalho trata da história da música na tradição do povo indígena wai wai, um grupo de língua caribe da região guianense. A pesquisa se passa entre os Wai Wai do rio Mapuera (norte do Pará), tendo como foco os conhecimentos de anciãos e as músicas antigas que eles conhecem. Aqui tratamos da definição do que é música e instrumento musical para os Wai Wai, quem pode e quem não pode tocar e/ou ouvir música. Descrevemos as histórias dos lugares antigos de habitação dos Wai Wai, onde moravam outrora, no rio Baracuxi (Kikwo), os nomes das aldeias e os nomes …

“The Hero Of My Own Life”: The Purpose Of The Fictional Self In The Life Writings Of Mary Wollstonecraft And Charles Dickens, Jessica M. Day

Honors Projects

This paper looks at Letters written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark by Mary Wollstonecraft and David Copperfield by Charles Dickens as significant texts that combine fiction and life writing. Looking at fictional and autobiographical elements within each text, this paper argues that these authors manipulate genre to make significant claims about feminism and child activism. They participate in self-crafting—taking the self, something that is personal, and making it public and political. This paper argues that fiction allows the life writer to expand past the limitations of a single lifetime and speak to truths larger than the self. Letters written …

Pavlovian Approaches To Promoting Self-Control, Gregory J. Madden

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Language And The Lord Of The Rings: The Expansion Of A Universe, Thomas Beutz

The Criterion

Tommy Beutz’s essay, “Language and The Lord of the Rings: The Expansion of a Universe” explores J.R.R. Tolkien’s world-building through the lens of linguistics. Beutz argues that Tolkien’s creation of Middle-Earth, anchored in his invented languages, extends beyond the bounds of the text. Drawing on Tolkien’s background as a philologist, Beutz contends that the languages of Middle-Earth are not mere literary devices but rather the foundation of its entire mythology. By examining linguistic markers embedded in the primary text, Beutz reveals how Tolkien hints at a larger world outside the narrative. Through an analysis of historical accounts and characters’ …

Targeted Drug Delivery: Investigating Protein Corona Behavior, Atharva Markale

Theses

Due to high specificity and less toxicity, nanoparticles have become promising for targeted drug delivery against cancer, although they face challenges when they enter the bloodstream, making their behavior unpredictable. The deposition of proteins on nanoparticles, the protein corona, changes their biosignature, affecting their circulation, drug release potency, targeting ability, and immunogenicity. The continuous exchange of protein layers on a nanoscale is complex to analyze.

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is a method to characterize nanoparticles in blood plasma by combining principles of light scattering microscopy and Brownian motion. In this work, time-dependent experiments with plasma were conducted to analyze the …

Strawberry Nectar Preservation Through Innovative Techniques And Energy Evaluation For High-Pressure Processing, Caterina Scaioli

Theses

Strawberries are universally adored by people of all ages, owing to their richness in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants, offering myriad health benefits, including combating free radicals. However, despite their popularity, strawberry juices or nectars are not commonly found in markets due to their delicate structure, which makes them prone to rapid deterioration of their prized qualities and vibrant red color. In the food industry, preventing browning and nutrient deterioration are often the primary challenges faced when processing red juices. Traditional preservation methods, such as pasteurization, are inadequate in maintaining their freshness. The focus of this study is to explore alternative …

Performance Of Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team: An Explorative-Qualitative Study In Indonesia-Timor Leste Border Area, Maria Paula Marla Nahak, Veronika Nitsae

Kesmas

Stunting is a complex issue influenced by multiple factors, including specific factors within and outside the health sector. Achieving a significant reduction in stunting needs the involvement of relevant local government offices in the Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team (SRAT). This study aimed to investigate SRAT performance in a specific context of accelerating stunting reduction in Malaka District. This qualitative study, with a phenomenological approach, was conducted in Malaka District, Indonesia, and Timor Leste Border Area from July to September 2023. This study revealed four major themes of SRAT performance to accelerate stunting reduction in Malaka District: activities to accelerate stunting …

Exploring The Multifaceted Nature Of Occupational Stress Among Nurses: A Systematic Review, Bala Murali Sundram, Suriya Kumareswaran Vallasamy, Umairah Muhadi

Kesmas

This systematic review examined occupational stress among nurses, its multifaceted nature, and its significant impact on healthcare delivery and nurse well-being globally. This study identified various stressors, including intrinsic job factors, organizational structure, role expectations, interpersonal relationships, and career development. Using the Cooper and Marshall stress model, a thorough literature search was conducted across databases like ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar, focusing on publications from 2010 to 2023. This rigorous approach included diverse research methodologies, emphasizing studies measuring outcomes related to occupational stress and mental health among nurses. A total of 10 studies met …

Church2024_Development Of A Rhizobium Seed Coating...Data, Bridget M. Church, Brad Geary, Curtis L. Drake, Joel Griffitts, Kate Ruebelmann, Shannon V. Nelson, Matthew D. Madsen

ScholarsArchive Data

This file contains the data description for the “Church2024_Development of a Rhizobium Seed Coating…” Supplementary File.

The excel file contains six worksheets: 1) Exceed Study Data, 2) Exceed Study Tiss TotN%, 3) Inoc Study data, 4) Inoc Study Tiss TotN%, 5) Seed Coat study data, Seed Coat study Tiss TotN%.

Methodology For Developing Biodegradable Polymer Blends And Composites For Agriculture, Fangzhong Xing

Theses

The use of polyethylene (PE) films to improve soil conditions and to increase crop yield has produced microplastics that are harmful to our ecosystem. The overall objective of this thesis is to develop an effective biodegradable polymer/composite to replace PE, and hence, to reduce microplastic pollution. The focus of this research is to develop a systematic protocol for assessing the suitability of the biodegradable films based on industry standards in agriculture. For this purpose, a range of biodegradable polymer blends are prepared using polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) with varying PLA to PBAT ratios. Solvent casting combined with …

Systematic Review And Dosage Analysis: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Efficacy In The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Susan R. Andrews, Paul G. Harch

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Studies of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment of mild traumatic brain injury persistent postconcussion syndrome in military and civilian subjects have shown simultaneous improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or PTSD symptoms, suggesting that HBOT may be an effective treatment for PTSD. This is a systematic review and dosage analysis of HBOT treatment of patients with PTSD symptoms. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Systematic Review Database were searched from September 18 to November 23, 2023, for all adult clinical studies published in English on HBOT and PTSD. Randomized trials and studies with symptomatic outcomes were selected for final …

Tribological Performance Of Ceramic On Textured Polyethylene Contact For Artificial Hip Implants, Sandhya Vaidyanathan

Theses

Revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) is an expensive and surgically risky procedure that is necessary in the case of a failed primary total hip arthroplasty (pTHA). The cause of failure in artificial hip joints is often rooted in the tribological performance of the bearing surfaces such as increased wear and reduced lubrication. Surface texturing is a surface modification technique which has been studied for aerospace and automotive applications and has shown promise in the biomedical field of artificial human joints in the last two decades. Several studies have been done to assess the tribological performance of introducing surface micro-textures as …

Implication Of Artificial Intelligence On National Security For The Nigeria Security Agencies, Musa Zakari

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The study examines the implications of AI for national security in Nigeria in the field of military logistics for Nigerian security agencies. A documentary research design was utilized for the study. Document analysis of existing policies, reports, and case studies related to AI and national security in Nigeria was utilized. The study revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) has significant prospects for national security for Nigeria's security agencies. It was revealed that AI-powered technologies enable advanced surveillance capabilities, such as facial recognition and video analytics, which aid in identifying potential threats and monitoring security situations more effectively. The Air Force uses …

Combination Treatment Of Biochanin A And Atorvastatin Alters Mitochondrial Bioenergetics, Modulating Cell Metabolism And Inducing Cell Cycle Arrest In Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Vilas Desai, Satya Murthy Tadinada, Hoora Shaghaghi, Ross Summer, James C.K. Lai, Alok Bhushan

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Background/Aim: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive type of cancer, with a dismally low survival rate of <5%. FDA-approved drugs like gemcitabine have shown little therapeutic success, prolonging survival by a mere six months. Isoflavones, such as biochanin A and daidzein, are known to exhibit anti-cancer activity, whereas statins reportedly have anti-proliferative effects. This study investigated the effects of combination treatment of biochanin A and atorvastatin on pancreatic cancer cells.

Materials and Methods: Pancreatic cancer cells AsPC-1, PANC-1, and MIA PaCa-2 were procured from ATCC. The cell viability studies were carried out using MTT & cell count assays. Flow cytometry was used to study cell apoptosis whereas cell metabolism studies were carried out using the Seahorse Mito stress test and XF-PMP assay. The effects of treatment on cell signaling pathways & cell cycle associated proteins were investigated using western blot whereas invasiveness of cancer cells was evaluated using gelatin zymography.

Results: The combination treatment …

Indigenous Peoples In The Guianas: Contemporary Ethnographies, Luísa G. Girardi, Leonor Valentino, Virgínia Amaral

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

In the introduction to this special issue of Tipití, dedicated to recent ethnographies conducted among indigenous peoples in Guianese Amazonia, we offer an overview of the main anthropological traditions that have placed the region at the center of debates in Amazonianist ethnology. Alternatively defined as a "linguistic area," "cultural area," or "ethnographic area," the Guianas region is shared by indigenous collectives of the Cariban family and, to a lesser extent, Arawak, Tupi, Yanomami, Sáliva, and Warao-speaking groups, and is associated with some of the monographs that inaugurated the modern period of ethnological reflection on kinship in Amazonia, as well as …

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

Individual Longitudinal Changes In Dna-Methylome Identify Signatures Of Early-Life Adversity And Correlate With Later Outcome, Annabel K. Short, Ryan Weber, Noriko Kamei, Christina Wilcox Thai, Hina Arora, Ali Mortazavi, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Adverse early-life experiences (ELA) affect a majority of the world's children. Whereas the enduring impact of ELA on cognitive and emotional health is established, there are no tools to predict vulnerability to ELA consequences in an individual child. Epigenetic markers including peripheral-cell DNA-methylation profiles may encode ELA and provide predictive outcome markers, yet the interindividual variance of the human genome and rapid changes in DNA methylation in childhood pose significant challenges. Hoping to mitigate these challenges we examined the relation of several ELA dimensions to DNA methylation changes and outcome using a within-subject longitudinal design and a high methylation-change threshold. …

The Kat Module Of The Saga Complex Maintains The Oncogenic Gene Expression Program In Mycn- Amplified Neuroblastoma, Clare F Malone, Nathaniel W Mabe, Alexandra B Forman, Gabriela Alexe, Kathleen L Engel, Ying-Jiun C Chen, Melinda Soeung, Silvi Salhotra, Allen Basanthakumar, Bin Liu, Sharon Y R Dent, Kimberly Stegmaier

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pediatric cancers are frequently driven by genomic alterations that result in aberrant transcription factor activity. Here, we used functional genomic screens to identify multiple genes within the transcriptional coactivator Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex as selective dependencies for MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, a disease of dysregulated development driven by an aberrant oncogenic transcriptional program. We characterized the DNA recruitment sites of the SAGA complex in neuroblastoma and the consequences of loss of SAGA complex lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) activity on histone acetylation and gene expression. We demonstrate that loss of SAGA complex KAT activity is associated with reduced MYCN binding on chromatin, suppression of …

2-Tertbutylfuran At 550 And 700 K: A Multiplexed Photoionization Mass Spectrometric Investigation And Determination Of Cross Sections Of A Carbon- Bromine Bond And Various Brominated Organic Compounds, Ameyali Tapia

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the combustion study of 2-tertbutylfuran (2-TBF) in reaction with atomic oxygen (O(3P)). Data was collected at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, using tunable vacuum ultraviolet radiation coupled with a multiplexed mass spectrometer to acquire the data. These data were taken at low pressures of 7 and 8 torr at temperatures of 550 K and 700 K, respectively. Primary products of the system were identified and characterized, while reaction pathways of the products are currently being studied to ensure thermodynamic feasibility. Branching fractions of the system were also calculated, to view the …

Presynaptic Nanoscale Components Of Retrograde Synaptic Signaling, Benjámin Barti, Barna Dudok, Kata Kenesei, Miklós Zöldi, Vivien Miczán, Gyula Y Balla, Diana Zala, Mariana Tasso, Claudia Sagheddu, Máté Kisfali, Blanka Tóth, Marco Ledri, E Sylvester Vizi, Miriam Melis, László Barna, Zsolt Lenkei, Iván Soltész, István Katona

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

While our understanding of the nanoscale architecture of anterograde synaptic transmission is rapidly expanding, the qualitative and quantitative molecular principles underlying distinct mechanisms of retrograde synaptic communication remain elusive. We show that a particular form of tonic cannabinoid signaling is essential for setting target cell–dependent synaptic variability. It does not require the activity of the two major endocannabinoid-producing enzymes. Instead, by developing a workflow for physiological, anatomical, and molecular measurements at the same unitary synapse, we demonstrate that the nanoscale stoichiometric ratio of type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) to the release machinery is sufficient to predict synapse-specific release probability. Accordingly, …

Multifactoral Immune Modulation Potentiates Durable Remission In Multiple Models Of Aggressive Malignancy, Matthew M Halpert, Briana A Burns, Spencer R Rosario, Henry G Withers, Akshar J Trivedi, Colby J Hofferek, Benjamin D Gephart, Haotong Wang, Jonathan Vazquez-Perez, Sharon B Amanya, Sean T Hyslop, Jianhua Yang, Jan O Kemnade, Vlad C Sandulache, Vanaja Konduri, William K Decker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Tumors typically lack canonical danger signals required to activate adaptive immunity and also frequently employ substantial immunomodulatory mechanisms that downregulate adaptive responses and contribute to escape from immune surveillance. Given the variety of mechanisms involved in shielding tumors from immune recognition, it is not surprising that single-agent immunomodulatory approaches have been largely unsuccessful in generating durable antitumor responses. Here we report a unique combination of immunomodulatory and cytostatic agents that recondition the tumor microenvironment and eliminate complex and/or poor-prognosis tumor types including the non-immunogenic 4T-1 model of TNBC, the aggressive MOC-2 model of HNSCC, and the high-risk MYCN-amplified model of …

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles-Doped Curcumin-Assisted Recovery Of Rheumatoid Arthritis And Antioxidant Status In Experimental Rabbits, Shanza Azeez, Mishal Fatima, Ouz Gul, Huzaifa Rehman, Muhammad Aslam Shad, Haq Nawaz

BioMedicine

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and synovial joint destruction.

Aims: The current study investigated the possible beneficial effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles-doped curcumin (ZnONPs-DC) on the recovery of RA and antioxidant status of experimental rabbits.

Methods: RA was induced in experimental rabbits by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant and collagen type-II emulsion (100 µL/kg body weight) in the base of their tail. Arthritic rabbits were orally treated with ZnONPs, curcumin, and ZnONPs-DC (250 µL/kg body weight). Serum samples from the control and study groups were collected before and after RA induction and after treatment. …