Digital Commons Network^™

Proposing Urban Agroforestry Designs For Lincoln, Nebraska: A Model From Berlin, Germany, Noah Johnson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Given the threat of a worsening climate crisis, there is a strong need for community and ecosystem resilience. Diverse urban agroforestry systems have the potential to accomplish both and meet many of the objectives outlined in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska’s climate action plan. Additionally, Berlin, Germany could provide an effective model for Lincoln in this regard given the city’s extensive history of established urban agroforestry systems. The objective of this study then is to develop a design for an urban agroforestry site modeled on Berlin’s allotment gardens and tailored to Lincoln’s needs. The methods for creating this design included …

Biological Teleology In The Modern World, Kathryn Siena

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In humans, the heart moves blood through the body. Does the heart therefore have a teleological explanation? Aristotelian teleology (described in Aristotle’s Physics) is the cause-for-the-sake-of-which, or the end towards which something moves. It is evident from current scientific knowledge that there is some sort of orientation of organisms toward an end. This orientation, following Aristotle’s definition of teleology, is conceptually distinct from efficient causation. This orientation is also metaphysically distinct from efficient causation because efficient causal explanations do not properly describe the orientation. However, two common ways of describing teleological explanations imply efficient causation as a metaphysical element. …

Determining The Impacts Of Corn Silage Mixing Ratios On Hydrogen Production From Beef Cattle Manure, Katya Faber-Quimby

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

With global warming becoming an increasingly serious threat and a growing population requiring additional energy resources, interest in the production of clean energy from the agricultural sector has surged in popularity. Biohydrogen, also known as green hydrogen, is H₂ that has been produced using renewable energy, such as from agricultural byproducts or waste materials. It presents a promising alternative to nonrenewable resources due to its high potential for energy storage and lack of carbon emissions when used. Cattle manure has been explored as a resource for the production of biohydrogen. Selecting for hydrogen-producing microbes in the manure serves the …

The Dragonfly, Alissa Cichelli

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Finally, Jeanne Mardegan

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Blood Pressure Methods In Non-Traumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Two-Site Prospective Observational Study, Desiree Cihelka

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose. Blood pressure (BP) management is difficult and complex in the treatment of acute non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Despite mean arterial pressure (MAP) being the most reliable measure of noninvasive automatic oscillometric (NIBP) in clinical practice, clinicians instead rely on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) values to guide clinical practice. Given the widespread use of NIBPs for obtaining BP values in the acute care setting, we determine the agreement between SBP, DBP, and MAP measured by NIBP, manual cuff, and Arterial lines (A-lines) in patients with ICH. Study Aims. To understand the agreement between SBP, DBP, and …

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Role Of Pnpla3 And Its Association With Environmental Chemicals, Shakil A. Saghir, Ata Abbas, Saleh Alfuraih, Ajay Sharma, Jean Latimer, Yadollah Omidi, Rais Ansari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Globally, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise with 30-32%, 27-33%, 35-48%, 36%, 9-20%, and 36-38% prevalence in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Australia, respectively. Approximately, 5-10% of NAFLD proceeds to hepatitis called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH often progresses to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Precise mechanism(s) for the development of HCC is not fully understood in NAFLD and NASH patients. Higher insulin levels in type 2 diabetes (T2D) can result in lipolysis of adipose tissue activating lipid synthesizing enzymes such as fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1, resulting in lipid accumulation in …

Automated Cinematographer For Vr Viewing Experiences, Zihan Wu

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

As the virtual reality (VR) industry continues to evolve, the question of how to effectively capture VR experiences for an audience remains a challenge. The predominant method of showcasing VR applications through first-person recordings lacks cinematic interest, failing to capture other viewpoints and the essence of the moment. Meanwhile, manually setting up cameras and editing videos requires technical expertise on behalf of the user. In this paper, we propose the use of machine learning (ML) to automatically select the most compelling predefined viewpoint in a VR environment, at any given moment. Our models, trained on actor motion and voice volume, …

Survival Strategies In Arid Environments: Exploring Desert Adaptations In Peromyscus Eremicus, Danielle Blumstein

Doctoral Dissertations

Desert environments pose extreme challenges for organisms, necessitating the evolution of specialized physiological, biochemical, and genomic mechanisms for survival. My research focuses on the cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus), exploring real time long term physiological changes and multi-tissue transcriptomics. The advent of both modern metabolic and sequencing technologies has revolutionized our approach to studying whole organismal responses on a fine scale, offering the ability to analyze changes during environmental fluctuations. However, these methods bring a new viewpoint that has highlighted our lack of understanding of the associated biology. My Ph.D. research takes an interdisciplinary approach, summarizing the interaction between metabolism and …

Differential Roles Of Replication Protein A Large Subunit Paralogs In Dna Damage Repair, Ian Mills

Doctoral Dissertations

DNA damage is a constant threat for all organisms. The most severe form of DNA damage is a double-strand break (DSB) that can have disastrous consequences to the cell including genome truncation and programmed cell death. As such, organisms have multiple complex pathways dedicated to repairing DSBs. These repair pathways begin with a signaling cascade that results in the resecting of the ends of the break to create 3’ OH overhangs which are immediately bound by a single-stranded binding protein called Replication Protein A (RPA). This is followed by the cell either undergoing programmed cell death or utilizing non-homologous end …

The Dynamic Measure Of Health Goals, Goal Achievement, And Who Succeeds At Their Goals, Hannah Lightcap

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is divided into four parts. Part 1 includes the introduction to the dissertation. Part 2 describes the first study of the dissertation, the Goal Measurement study. This focuses on the development and evaluation of the Health Goals and Achievement Surveys; a survey measuring and evaluating health goals and their achievement. The Goal Measurement Study also offers validity information and reports the relationships between various personality traits and health goal achievement. Part 3 describes the second study of the dissertation, the Personality Predictors and Social Support Study which examines multiple psycho-social predictors of health goal achievement. Part 4 is …

Leveraging Genome Evolution To Address Questions Of Biological Function, Hannah Pare

Doctoral Dissertations

Advances in sequencing technology have facilitated a surge in the production of genome data for diverse animal species. Researchers are presented with the opportunity to create comprehensive phylogenomic datasets, which have previously not been feasible. Unfortunately, extracting biologically relevant information from such a large amount of data is time consuming and computationally expensive, often limiting the scope and possibility of such analyses. My Ph.D. research aims to establish a methodological framework for investigating questions of biological function using comparative genomic and phylogenetic methods. Using two different metazoan genomic datasets we demonstrate the wide-ranging applicability of this framework by addressing research …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …

2024 Nsu Commencement Schedule Of Ceremonies, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) welcomes graduating candidates, their families, and friends to its Fort Lauderdale/ Davie campus for the 2024 commencement ceremonies.

This guide offers important information regarding NSU commencement, academic regalia, recognition events, and accommodations for your visiting family and guests.

The Space That Tell Stories, Asia Gonzalez

Theses

This project focuses on visual storytelling in game design. The primary focus of this project is to create an environment that tells a story through visual exposition and very minimal dialogue or written words. Furthermore, the project studies the ways in which a story can be both a visual and interactive experience.

A Comparison Of Shaping And Imitation For Reducing A Dog’S Problem Behavior, Carlee Weir, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Over one million dogs have entered shelters in 2024 alone with approximately 31% of those dogs being relinquished by their owners (Shelter Animal Count, 2024). Further, non-aggressive behavioral issues are often cited as a primary cause for owner relinquishment (Best Friends Network Partners, 2018; Howard & DiGennaro Reed, 2014). Previous research has shown the effectiveness of training methods based on positive reinforcement to reduce problematic behavior with dogs and to increase desirable behavior, such as shaping and clicker training, and there has been a growing interest in the use of imitation during training. Fugazza and Miklosi (2015) compared a shaping …

A Preliminary Analysis Of Functional Communication Training Via Voice-Recorded Buttons To Reduce Undesirable Behaviors With Dogs, Mya Watson-Blake, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Undesirable behavior, such as excessive barking, jumping up, and biting, is prevalent among pet dogs with an estimate of 72%-85% of dogs exhibiting at least one type of undesirable behavior (Dinwoodie et al., 2019; Powell et al., 2021; Salonen et al., 2020). Further, canine undesirable behavior has been found to be the leading cause of owners relinquishing their dogs to rescue shelters (Powdrill-Wells et al., 2021). Functional communication training (FCT) is a method that has shown to be effective with human populations for reducing challenging behaviors by teaching an individual an alternative response that results in the same class of …

Feminism In The Anti-Nuclear Movement: Three Women's Quest To Re-Make Society, Sarah Doenmez

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the 40 years between 1974 and 2014, the anti-nuclear movement arose in New England, shook the dominant political forces, changed the culture, and achieved significant victories. Although they are usually not recognized as the power behind anti-nuclear and environmental activism, in fact, I contend that a certain group of women motivated by a second wave ecofeminist vision of peace were and have remained the core of this work in New England. Their fight against patriarchal systems shaping their individual lives extended to a larger commitment to build communities and imbue institutions with a new value system that would nurture …

How New Communication Behaviors Evolve: Androgens As Modifiers Of Neuromotor Structure And Function In Foot-Flagging Frogs, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Allex Andrya Dawn, Kerry M. Lecure, Gina E. Mantica, Riccardo Racicot, Matthew J. Fuxjager, Doris Preininger

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

How diverse animal communication signals have arisen is a question that has fascinated many. Xenopus frogs have been a model system used for three decades to reveal insights into the neuroendocrine mechanisms and evolution of vocal diversity. Due to the ease of studying central nervous system control of the laryngeal muscles in vitro, Xenopus has helped us understand how variation in vocal communication signals between sexes and between species is produced at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. Yet, it is becoming easier to make similar advances in non-model organisms. In this paper, we summarize our research on a group …

Assessing The Role Of Stim1 And Stim2 In Microglial Response To Spinal Cord Injury., Sarayu Alli

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Microglia, immune cells of the central nervous system, constantly survey their environment for damage. Once damage is detected, they are activated into become reactive, resulting in morphological changes, such as larger cell bodies, and functional changes, such as releasing inflammatory mediators. The switch from surveying to reactive occurs because the microglia received signals that sense danger in the environment. The release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores is involved in store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), a signaling pathway. Recent studies have shown that calcium release from the intracellular stores is a factor of microglial activation. SOCE is specific to monitoring low calcium …

Investigating Pre-Health Students’ Science Identity And The Factors That Influence Them To Change Programs Or Tracks., Taylor Humphreys

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Retention is a particularly pressing issue for undergraduate students, specifically those in pre-health programs or tracks. This can be affected by a students’ science identity, which is referred to as viewing oneself as a “science person.” This study focused on investigating science identity and influencing factors that can cause program or track change of pre-health students. Previous studies have investigated these factors regarding pre-health students applying to medical school, but this study opened the investigation to a variety of pre-health students and focused on characterizing students’ experiences prior to their health professional school applications. The analysis of peer-led focus group …

Something Old, Something Blue: An Analysis Of Identification Methods For Determining The Presence Of Indigo Within Historic Textiles For The Charleston Museum, Chris Cone

All Theses

Identification methods for the analysis of indigo dye within textiles have been compiled in multiple studies. Though few examples demonstrate chemical analysis and phase separation as a technique that can assist in the identity of the dyestuff. The inclusion of nontechnical methods, techniques that require little knowledge of chemistry and can be completed without the assistance of high-tech machinery, can contribute toward these efforts. The goal of this thesis was to provide a simple testing procedure where eight historic textile samples dating from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries were subjected to chemical analysis and phase separation to determine the …

Ahead Of The Digital Curve: Digitally Documenting And Interpreting The Historic Built Environment In Museums, Hannah St. Onge

All Theses

Digital documentation technology came into the mainstream of preservation in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries. These technologies have also begun to make their way into museums, another piece of the preservation field. Literature detailing the use of digital documentation technology in museums focuses largely on isolated case studies, often from museums in Europe and Asia. The research on the topic currently lacks a broad understanding of the use of these technologies in museums across the United States.

This thesis utilizes a survey method to determine the scope of digital documentation technologies usage to create 3D digital …

Investigation Of Early Stage Wound Healing In Volumetric Muscle Loss, Sean Ong

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) refers to the substantial removal of tissue from skeletal muscle due to surgery or lesions. This condition disrupts the normal regenerative process of injured muscles, leading to significant loss of muscle function. This study examines the progression of VML injury, approximately 20% of the muscle mass being removed, in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of a mouse model over a 15-day post-injury period. The injured muscles exhibited discoloration indicative of reduced blood flow and experienced a decrease in muscle mass throughout the study duration. Furthermore, the maximum force output of the injured TA was significantly lower, …

The Unspoken Words Of Fashion: Movements Behind Harajuku’S Avant-Garde Fashion Trends, Alastair Leon

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Over the past 50 years, the Harajuku neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan, has become an epicenter for innovative fashion trends that have reached global audiences. Fashion, as a medium, is an art form that can be as powerful as traditional work. It can convey a multitude of messages, and most notably, it can be a wordless statement against dominant culture and societal norms. Social groups have used fashion as an identifier, and they are commonly linked with a subcultural identity. Self-expression is a powerful tool to fight against the status quo, and fashion enthusiasts in Japan have advocated for a rebellion …

Do Heat Waves Drive Natural Selection In Damselflies?, Adam Baranyk

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Climate change has led to changes in both mean temperatures and temperature extremes over the recent years. These changes have had differential effects on animals throughout the world. Ectotherms depend on their external environment for thermal regulation, making them especially susceptible to temperature extremes. It is not yet clear whether there is a relationship between physical traits in ectotherms, and survivorship throughout a heat wave. That is, whether or not temperature extremes driven survival selection. In this study, a heat wave was simulated artificially using thermally regulated mesocosms at different temperatures (18°C, 22° C, 26° C, 30° C) with a …

Genocide Dressed In Jeans: Does Sharing A Narrative About The Uyghur Population Alter Opinions About Fast Fashion, Danya Radhi

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

One of the most cherished traditions on our University of Arkansas campus is the etching of names onto Senior Walk each year. On any given day, thousands of students stroll across these beautiful sidewalks as they venture to and from class. Dressed in the latest fashions from iconic brands such as Zara, H&M, and Nike, these students are far removed from the tragedy that has befallen the Uyghur population living in the Xinjiang province, 6,914 miles away. Evidence has been mounting that the Uyghur population has been suffering through massive displacement, forced labor camps, and atrocities that we cannot even …

Comparative Evaluation Of Clinical Presentation And Management Of Equine Asthma By Climate Region, Tacey Davis

Honors College Theses

Equine asthma, including both mild and severe forms, is a prominent respiratory disease impacting the health and performance levels of affected horses. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of a broad equine population, analyzing various disease aspects in relation to prevalence and severity across the nine climate regions in the United States. The methodology followed a survey-based research design, utilizing convenience and voluntary response sampling methods. Data collection involved 86 respondents across these regions. Quantitative and qualitative questions explored prevalence rates, diseases manifestation, risk factor of age, seasonality components, and diagnostic and management strategies from …

Stem Cell Therapy For Canine And Feline Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease, Seth Clark

Honors College Theses

This research aimed to statistically analyze the relationship between stem cell therapy and chronic renal failure in a sample of canine and feline patients. Stem cell therapy is a burgeoning field in both human and veterinary medicine, seeking mainly to better understand disease incidence and repair damaged tissues, such as those involved in spinal cord injuries and Alzheimer’s disease. In relation to veterinary medicine, prior research suggests that stem cell therapy has potential to be an effective tool against diseases such as acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. This project examined how autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells affected the …

Carl Schmitt’S Loneliness And Hannah Arendt’S Action, J. Lynne Nelson

Philosophy Honors Theses

No abstract provided.