Digital Commons Network^™

Weaving Empire: The Role Of Wool, The Subjugated, The Enslaved, And The Convicted In Building The British Empire, 1699-1860, Lisa Y. Gabbert

History Dissertations - Archive

A bright red woolsack comprised of wool clippings from across England sits prominently in the House of Lords. King Edward III originally commissioned the cushion for the Speaker to sit upon while conducting Parliamentary business to signify the importance of the commodity. In 1699, as British trade and territorial interests expanded, Parliament issued the Wool Act. It outlined the expectations and limitations of wool production and exchange in British controlled territories. While the British economy benefitted from commodities such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton which was largely produced by convict and enslaved laborers in its colonies, wool remained an essential …

Understanding The Origin Of Parthenogenesis Via Crossing And Crispr Gene Editing In Daphnia Pulex, Thinh Pham

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Daphnia has been used as a key model system for studying ecological changes, evolution, and genomics for the past few decades due to its rapid turnover time in reproduction. The organism possesses two fascinating modes of reproduction: obligate parthenogenesis and cyclical parthenogenesis. This dissertation delves into the intricate reproductive strategies of Daphnia pulex, focusing on hybrid F1s from different reproductive modes. The first aim is to investigate 31 hybrid F1s generated from obligate parthenogenesis (OP) and cyclical parthenogenesis (CP) parental lines. Transcriptomic analysis reveals misexpression patterns and regulatory divergences, highlighting meiosis-related genes like CDC6 as potential parthenogenesis regulators. The …

Exploring Ecological Drivers Of Evolution Of The Brain, Cognition, And Behavior, Meghan Korte

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Evolutionary theory proposes that increases in brain size confer cognitive and behavioral benefits that offset the expensive investment in brain tissue. However, few studies have examined the relationship between brain size, cognition, and behavior within species. The majority of research has focused on cross-species comparisons, thus there is a need for empirical research within species examining how contrasting ecological pressures select for cognitive and behavioral benefits and how these may evolve in tandem with changes in brain size. My dissertation addresses this gap by examining: 1) Whether selection on brain size is linked to improvements in cognitive ability; 2) How …

Role Of Extracytoplasmic Function (Ecf) Sigma Factors In The Survival And Symbiosis Of Nitrogen-Fixing Bradyrhizobium Under Desiccation Stress And Comparative Analysis Of Desiccation-Tolerant Rhizobial Isolates, Mohammad Kamruzzaman

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Rhizobia are soil bacteria that facilitate biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) through a symbiotic relationship with legumes such as soybeans. As an eco-friendly alternative to chemical nitrogen fertilizers, rhizobial inoculants can enhance plant growth and yield. However, they face various stresses, including drought (i.e., desiccation). Rhizobia can manage desiccation stress by accumulating trehalose, a disaccharide produced by genes such as otsA, otsB, and treS. Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors sense external signals and regulate these desiccation-related genes during the stress. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of EcfG in response to desiccation stress and symbiosis. Based on the protein sequence …

Burnout Of Women In Agriculture, Ashley Rivers

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture is considered one of the foundations of the United States. Women have played an important but often overlooked role in the history of agriculture. Despite many significant contributions, women have been left out of the history and advancements of agriculture. This research examined the lived experiences of 56 women who are involved in production agriculture and the factors that can contribute to stress and burnout in this area. By identifying how females view their roles and various aspects of their work, valuable insights can be gained into the experiences women face. Financial challenges and gender bias were identified as …

Powerless Beings: Solitary Confinement Of Humans And Nonhumans In America, Michael B. Mushlin, David N. Cassuto

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Every day, thousands of humans and millions of nonhumans endure solitary confinement. Human prisoners held this way are confined for twenty-two to twenty-four hours a day for weeks, months, or even years on end in cells the size of a parking space. For these humans, the experience is tortuous. Captive animals held in solitary confinement similarly spend much of their lives locked into tiny spaces, isolated, and deprived of the types of interactions and environment essential to their wellbeing. And, like humans, they are driven mad. In human and nonhuman settings, the agony of solitary is chillingly alike and harmful. …

The Federal Future Of Medication Abortion, Michelle S. Simon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

A majority of Americans believe that there should be a right to abortion, at least in some cases. Yet a vocal and determined minority has its sights set on a complete ban on all abortions everywhere in the United States. In many states, these anti-abortion activists have achieved their goal through new laws and limitations enacted in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs. Anti-abortion advocates are also challenging the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory approval of mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion (also known as medical abortion). The FDA had initially approved mifepristone …

A Restatement Of Democracy, Joshua Ulan Galperin

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Debates about democracy are everywhere. Extremists, whether on the streets of Washington or Brasilia, perpetrate violence under the banner of democracy. But what do we mean when we talk about democracy? The debates, in the streets, popular media, or pages of academic journals, leave one wanting for depth and precision. This Article thus aims to provide an analytically useful model of Western democracy by surveying the vast and complex literature and distilling from that literature a series of core elements. From this exercise, this Article identifies the following four elements of democracy: majoritarianism, individual contestation, reason-giving, and deliberation. Although the …

Disgusted Judges And Domestic Violence, Jessica Miles

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Domestic violence is disgusting. Seeing a person with a bruised face or black eye can make us cringe. Reading a graphic description of a physical or sexual assault by an intimate partner can lead to revulsion. Like the rest of us, judges experience disgust--both consciously and subconsciously--when confronted with evidence of abuse in intimate relationships. These feelings of disgust shape the judicial system's responses to domestic violence in non-obvious ways.

In the minority of cases which seem to be “clear cut” (e.g., involving recent and corroborated physical or sexual violence), judicial disgust with defendants found to have perpetrated domestic violence …

Vol. 27, No. 1: Masthead, Water Law Review

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Beyond Property: Towards New Legal And Physical Approaches To Water Equality, Melissa Kay Brown

Water Law Review

This Article proposes a multi-layered approach to ensuring equality of water access. The legal doctrines for managing water flow in the United States include the public trust doctrine. In contrast, many countries are beginning to establish personhood rights for water. Part I of this Article assesses the public trust doctrine and rights of personhood for water, recommending a hybrid approach. In Part II, this Article argues that establishing personhood rights for water essentially establishes a human right to water. Part III explores the injustices of hydropower and encourages a shift from big dams to small-scale damless hydropower, or hydrokinetics, to …

Vol. 27, No. 1: Full Issue, Water Law Review

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Analysis Of Fatal Vehicle Crashes In Urban And Rural Kansas In Relation To Identified Golder Hour Gaps In Hospital Coverage, Mason W. Lipford, Grace N. Whisler Lipford, Gregory L. Newmark, Eric J. Fitzsimmons

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

The state of Kansas is a relatively rural state with a majority of highway/interstate miles through farmland and low populated areas. These rural areas can be hot spots for crashes to occur and the lack of hospitals and emergency response nearby can make these types of crashes turn deadly. Few studies have been done on this topic especially for the state of Kansas. As the Department of Transportation is pushing to the “Drive to Zero” goal, pinpointing the harmful factors to indicate where improvements are needed to reduce the number, and severity of crashes is an important first step. Using …

Between A River And A Wall: An Impossible Choice For Migrants Living Under Operation Lone Star And S.B. 4, Salimah Khoja, Paulina Leyva Hernandez

City University of New York Law Review

In 2023 the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 4 (“S.B. 4”), which empowers state and local law enforcement agencies to engage in immigration enforcement by arresting and deporting migrants who are suspected of crossing the southern border. Anti-immigrant state laws like Texas’s S.B. 4 and Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 (“S.B. 1070”) were created to test the limits of state power and limit the reach of federal immigration enforcement within the states. Legal challenges to state laws like S.B. 4 and S.B. 1070 demonstrate the ongoing tension between federal and state governments related to authority over immigration matters, even though immigration …

Greenfeed Methane Measuring Machine, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) now has the cutting-edge GreenFeed machine which measures emissions from individual cows and sheep, allowing us to determine Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions more accurately in the paddock.

Stop Crop Weed Seed Set, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Numerous options can be used to prevent weed seed set, which provides an opportunity to control weeds in the pasture, late fallow, late stubble, and in-crop phases for the next season.

Decoding And Generating Poetry: Using Feminist Theory And Digital Media To Demonstrate Maya Angelou's Writing As Activism, Emery Beckman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis will demonstrate how rhetorical strategies can present social change through descriptive elements of persuasion. Using foundational rhetorical concepts, including ethos, logos, and pathos, it will connect concerns of inequality to the work of Maya Angelou, who can validate the impact intersectionality has within the use of rhetoric. Having been a victim of racism, sexual abuse, and economic disadvantages, she used her voice to break the silence for women. This thesis will showcase the impact of rhetorical techniques through digital media by creating a website featuring visual data and mapping by decoding Maya Angelou's work to demonstrate the power …

Fourth And Fifth-Grade Teacher Experiences With Els In The Science Classroom, Kiana Cheverez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Science classrooms are places where students build knowledge through interacting with others and building new experiences by experimenting (Lee et al., 2009). English Learners (ELs) are students learning English, and the population of ELs has steadily risen in America (Tran, 2015). Although ELs are learning English, they are still expected to participate in conversations, exams, and learning in the Science classroom, regardless of their English abilities. This project focused on understanding teachers’ perspectives and experiences teaching ELs in the Science classroom. To do this, the researcher completed a phenomenological study and interviewed teachers to gain insight into their experiences. Afterward, …

Ammonia For Aviation, Brandon Cotto

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Aviation’s share of total global carbon emissions has been on the rise as both the decarbonization of other industries and the number of flights has increased. Ammonia as a jet fuel has been receiving attention as a potential carbon free energy storage pathway, both as a fuel and as a carrier of hydrogen. Utilizing ammonia as a fuel requires energy intensive processes making this pathway a compromise specifically intended for power generation purposes that cannot directly use sustainable energy. It is pertinent to understand the cost of realizing ammonia’s advantages as a fuel in the hard to decarbonize industry of …

Bridging Data And Theory: A Gray-Box Approach To Traffic Flow Dynamics, Shakib Mustavee

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The dissertation demonstrates the applicability of the data-driven dynamical systems (DDS) approach at both macroscopic and microscopic scales to extract mathematical structures from observed traffic data. Firstly, a novel DDS model is developed to capture the evolution of queue lengths in a signalized arterial corridor, dividing the dynamics into quasiperiodic and chaotic components. The proposed model effectively captures nonlinear dynamics from time series data. The Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) method is employed to estimate mathematically guaranteed Koopman eigenvalues and functions of the system, providing valuable insights into the periodic and chaotic behaviors of the system. Secondly, to further characterize …

Effective And Efficient Use Of Diffusion Models For Editing In Computer Vision, Umar Khalid

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This doctoral dissertation explores efficient applications of diffusion models in video and 3D scene editing, addressing the high computational demands traditionally associated with these tasks. The research introduces several innovative methods to make diffusion models more practical in real-world video and 3D scenarios while preserving high output quality.

The dissertation first presents parametric efficiency techniques for video understanding, followed by SAVE, a novel approach that leverages Text-to-Image (T2I) diffusion models for video editing, minimizing resource requirements. Building on this, the study introduces LatentEditor, a method that performs fine-grained, localized 3D scene editing in a latent space, thus enhancing Neural Radiance …

The False Identity Of A Filmmaker, Cheyanne Miller

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The False Identity of a Filmmaker is a multimedia installation and essay film on imposter syndrome within artists. Starting as an exploration into the topic, The False Identity of a Filmmaker became a personal self-discovery in my creative practice, resulting in an essay film that explores my relationship with imposter syndrome in relation to films that are often recognized as canonical. The multimedia installation places the essay film among a textural design of 16mm film strips to recognize filmmaking as a source of my imposter syndrome.

Women, artists, and those with careers in academia experience imposter syndrome quite often but …

Corn War: A Trade Fight Between The United States And Mexico, Ernesto Hernández-López

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

An international fight grows over corn. The United States claims that México’s ban on genetically modified (GMO) corn violates the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). México prohibits GMO corn for human consumption. American arguments focus on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, covered in Chapter 9 of the USMCA. A trade panel will review these.

This Essay first describes SPS arguments and relevant trade rules. The United States’ complaints emphasize that México’s ban is excessive, is not consistent with international standards, and mishandles risks. Second, the Essay identifies the obstacles American positions face: weak mandates and deference to México. Chapter 9 of …

Embodying Arts Festivals As Infrastructural Transformation Of Places, Bernadette Quinn

Books / Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Prolonged Grief: The Predictive Value Of Cognitive Distortions, Depression, And Anxiety, Michael Kastelnik

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Bereavement, the emotional pain of losing a loved one, may lead to significant distress and functional impairment, which can negatively impact the relationships, work, and health of those who grieve. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive distortions and prolonged grief, depression, and anxiety. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant and positive relationship between prolonged grief, depression, anxiety, and cognitive distortions, as measured by the Prolonged Grief Scale-Revised (PG-13-R), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), respectively (Hypothesis 1). It was also …

Perennializing Marginal Croplands: Going Back To The Future To Mitigate Climate Change With Resilient Biobased Feedstocks, Salvador Ramirez Ii, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John J. Quinn, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett

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

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.)—both corn grain and corn stover—and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2024, 144th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Aeronautics and Space Science Poster Session

Anthropology: Humans Past and Present

Maiben Lecture: "Platte Basin Timelapse: A Watershed in Motion," Grant Reiner

Applied Science and Technology

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

Earh Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Physics

Science Education

Pati Hill Collection - Objects & Postcards, Arcadia University

Finding Aids

Finding aid for the Pati Hill Objects & Postcards collection in the Arcadia University Archives.

Pati Hill Collection Unframed Artwork - Cartoons, Arcadia University

Finding Aids

Finding aid for the Pati Hill Collection Unframed Artwork - Cartoons at the Arcadia University Archives.

The Impact Of Human Attachment To A Pet Bird On Psychological Well-Being, Kathryn Marie Trautmann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few studies have addressed human attachment to a pet bird and psychological well-being, and the research that has been conducted is largely anecdotal and anthropomorphic perspectives on human relationships with birds. In this quantitative study, the relationships between humans and their birds were explored using Bowlby's attachment theory and Fredrickson and Losada's broaden and build theory. The study consisted of a randomized experiment, in which individuals were randomly assigned to either an attachment (n = 81) or detachment (n = 88) group. The security priming manipulation was used to prime the groups. The attachment group was asked to list things …