Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Factors Of Variance In Energy Metabolism Of Dairy Cattle, Addison L. Carroll

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Variation is thought to occur in the use of dietary energy for production in dairy cattle. First, variance can be observed when new methane mitigation strategies are fed resulting in increased H₂ output potentially resulting in downstream effects on estimates of heat production via the Brouwer (1965) equation. Therefore, in chapter 3 a review was created to systematically describe the mathematics and theory behind the Brouwer equation, and rederive a heat production equation to integrate H₂ production. Results indicate heat production using the classical Brouwer equation (1965) relative to the rederived equation resulted in an overestimation of heat …

Grant Writing: The Essentials, Jayme Renfro

Faculty Book Gallery

Welcome to the exciting and impactful world of grant writing! Whether you are a student embarking on a career in nonprofit management, a budding researcher eager to secure funding for your projects, or a professional looking to hone your grant writing skills, this textbook is designed to guide you through every step of the grant writing process. Grant writing is not just about securing funds; it's about crafting a story, building relationships, and making a tangible impact on communities and fields of study. This book aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to excel in this …

Nebraska Department Of Transportation Strategic Audit, Chloe Hoover

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is a state government agency that is responsible for the planning, development, design, construction, maintenance, and administration of the state highway system. Two strategic analyses are completed about NDOT: a PESTEL analysis and Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Both of these analyses showed that since NDOT is a state agency, it impacts foundational aspects of its strategy. NDOT’s strategy is influenced by its financial strategy, policies or political influence, and public importance. NDOT competes with other companies in its workforce and employees and/or applicants leaving NDOT for other companies. This report details NDOT’s strategy, competitive …

An Overview Of Planning For Vehicle-To-Grid Systems With Large-Scale Adoption Of Electric Vehicles, Fazel Mohammadi, Mahmood Mirhashemi

Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

The rapid adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has the potential to transform energy infrastructure worldwide. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) systems, which enable bidirectional energy flow between EVs and power grids, offer a promising solution for balancing electricity demand, supporting renewable energy integration, and enhancing the resilience of power grids. This paper explores different strategic planning considerations necessary for the large-scale adoption of V2G-enabled EVs, aiming to support a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.

Creating Near Real-Time Alerts Of Illegal Gold Mining In The Peruvian Amazon Using Synthetic Aperture Radar, Milagros Becerra, Lucio Villa, Andréa Puzzi Nicolau, Kelsey E. Herndon, Sidney Novoa, Vanesa Martín-Arias, Karen Dyson, Kaitlin Walker, Karis Tenneson, David Saah

Student Publications [Scholarly]

Peru's Southeastern Amazon deforestation trends can be attributed to alluvial gold mining. Illegal mining occurring in forestry concessions, national parks, and the territories of Indigenous People Organizations is of particular concern. We present a methodology to create near real-time alerts of deforestation caused by alluvial gold mining. A time series of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from February to December 2022 is created in Google Earth Engine (GEE) and assessed using Morton Canty's Omnibus Q-test change detection algorithm. Resulting detections are validated with high-resolution optical imagery from Planet NICFI's monthly basemaps and Planet Scope daily imagery. The alerts identify …

Accounting For Albedo Change To Identify Climate-Positive Tree Cover Restoration, Natalia Hasler, Christopher A. Williams, Vanessa Carrasco Denney, Peter W. Ellis, Surendra Shrestha, Drew E. Terasaki Hart, Nicholas H. Wolff, Samantha Yeo, Thomas W. Crowther, Leland K. Werden, Susan Cook-Patton

Geography

Restoring tree cover changes albedo, which is the fraction of sunlight reflected from the Earth’s surface. In most locations, these changes in albedo offset or even negate the carbon removal benefits with the latter leading to global warming. Previous efforts to quantify the global climate mitigation benefit of restoring tree cover have not accounted robustly for albedo given a lack of spatially explicit data. Here we produce maps that show that carbon-only estimates may be up to 81% too high. While dryland and boreal settings have especially severe albedo offsets, it is possible to find places that provide net-positive climate …

Student Use Of Electronic Health Records To Inform Decision-Making: A Pilot Study, Sarah Marie Calonder, Aimee A. Woda

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

As health care continues to evolve, the electronic medical record (EHR) has emerged as an important decision-making tool. To ensure that nursing students work toward competency with the EHR, this study sought to gather information regarding how students use the EHR.

Method

Students in a direct-entry, prelicensure program were observed using the EHR during a simulation-based experience (SBE). Focus groups gathered qualitative student perceptions of EHR use.

Results

Minimal use of the EHR during SBE was identified. Students reported using the EHR for information gathering, validating findings, and nursing tasks.

Conclusion

This study highlights the need for more robust …

Intensive Postpartum Antihypertensive Treatment (Ipat) And Healthy Lifestyle Education: Study Protocol For A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial For Patients With Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy, Anna Palatnik, Nadine Sunji, Zaira Peterson, Jennifer M. Ohlendorf, Amy Y. Pan, Jacquelyn Kulinski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) complicate about 10% of pregnancies and lead to postpartum hospital readmissions and cardiovascular complications. Following HDP, vascular dysfunction could persist and accelerate the trajectory of cardiovascular disease risk. The benefits of intensive blood pressure (BP) control following HDP have not been adequately investigated. Therefore, no standard guidelines exist to guide the management of mild-to-moderate hypertension in the postpartum period, leading to a wide variation in clinical practice. The present study will investigate the effect of intensive BP control and healthy lifestyle education on maternal cardiovascular health (CVH) and vascular function following HDP.

Methods

The …

Voices Of Departure: A Phenomenological Study On African American College Students’ First-Year Decisions To Drop Out In Predominantly White Instutions, Adrianne Leigh Meade

All Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of first- year African American college dropouts from predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Guided by Swail’s Geometric Model of Student Persistence and Achievement, the study examined the factors influencing dropout rates among first- year African American PWI students. The study sought to foster dialogue and drive positive change in higher education, aiming to prevent further dropout rates among this student demographic. This study revealed that African American students who dropped out of predominantly white institutions (PWIs) within their first year faced significant barriers across social, cognitive, and institutional dimensions. By amplifying student narratives, this study …

African American Males In Rural Elementary Schools During The Pandemic: Experiences, Challenges, And Strategies For Success, Jessica Lewis

All Dissertations

The present study experimentally examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elementary African American males living in rural areas. The qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to examine students' perspectives, as understood by the parents and educators (N=10). Using semi-structured interviews and thematic coding, the researcher suggested strategies for successfully closing instructional gaps and meeting the needs of this population moving forward.

The theoretical frameworks that triggered this exploration were Intersectionality, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Conflict Theory. The researcher used the theories as a lens to answer the following research questions: (1) How much has COVID-19 revealed the …

Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning In Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review, Vivian Salama, Brandon Godinich, Yimin Geng, Laia Humbert-Vidan, Laura Maule, Kareem A Wahid, Mohamed A Naser, Renjie He, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Clifton D Fuller, Amy C Moreno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/objectives: Pain is a challenging multifaceted symptom reported by most cancer patients. This systematic review aims to explore applications of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) in predicting pain-related outcomes and pain management in cancer.

Methods: A comprehensive search of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases was conducted using terms: "Cancer," "Pain," "Pain Management," "Analgesics," "Artificial Intelligence," "Machine Learning," and "Neural Networks" published up to September 7, 2023. AI/ML models, their validation and performance were summarized. Quality assessment was conducted using PROBAST risk-of-bias andadherence to TRIPOD guidelines.

Results: Forty four studies from 2006 to 2023 were included. Nineteen studies used …

Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma Atlas Reveals Malignant Th2 Cells Supported By A B Cell-Rich Tumor Microenvironment, Ruoyan Li, Johanna Strobl, Elizabeth F M Poyner, Aya Balbaa, Fereshteh Torabi, Pavel V Mazin, Nana-Jane Chipampe, Emily Stephenson, Ciro Ramírez-Suástegi, Vijaya Baskar Mahalingam Shanmugiah, Louis Gardner, Bayanne Olabi, Rowen Coulthard, Rachel A Botting, Nina Zila, Elena Prigmore, Nusayhah H Gopee, Marta A Chroscik, Efpraxia Kritikaki, Justin Engelbert, Issac Goh, Hon Man Chan, Harriet F Johnson, Jasmine Ellis, Victoria Rowe, Win Tun, Gary Reynolds, Dexin Yang, April Rose Foster, Laure Gambardella, Elena Winheim, Chloe Admane, Benjamin Rumney, Lloyd Steele, Laura Jardine, Julia Nenonen, Keir Pickard, Jennifer Lumley, Philip Hampton, Simeng Hu, Fengjie Liu, Xiangjun Liu, David Horsfall, Daniela Basurto-Lozada, Louise Grimble, Chris M Bacon, Sophie C Weatherhead, Hanna Brauner, Yang Wang, Fan Bai, Nick J Reynolds, Judith E Allen, Constanze Jonak, Patrick M Brunner, Sarah A Teichmann, Muzlifah Haniffa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a potentially fatal clonal malignancy of T cells primarily affecting the skin. The most common form of CTCL, mycosis fungoides, can be difficult to diagnose, resulting in treatment delay. We performed single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analysis of skin from patients with mycosis fungoides-type CTCL and an integrated comparative analysis with human skin cell atlas datasets from healthy and inflamed skin. We revealed the co-optation of T helper 2 (TH2) cell-immune gene programs by malignant CTCL cells and modeling of the tumor microenvironment to support their survival. We identified MHC-II+ fibroblasts and dendritic cells that …

Healthcare Disparities, Screening, And Molecular Testing In The Changing Landscape Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In The United States: A Review, Razelle Kurzrock, Aadel A Chaudhuri, David Feller-Kopman, Narjust Florez, Jed Gorden, Ignacio I Wistuba

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inequitable access to care continues to hinder improvements in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. This review describes healthcare disparities in the changing landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the United States, focusing on racial, ethnic, sex-based, and socioeconomic trends. Furthermore, strategies to address disparities, overcome challenges, and improve patient outcomes are proposed. Barriers exist across lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment regimens, varying by sex, age, race and ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer are higher among Black men than White men, and incidences in young women are substantially greater than …

Radiation-Induced Macrovessel/Microvessel Disease, Jun-Ichi Abe, Bryan G Allen, Andreas M Beyer, David Lewandowski, Kranti A Mapuskar, Vikram Subramanian, Michelle R Tamplin, Isabella M Grumbach

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiation therapy (RT) is a cornerstone in cancer treatment (used in 50% of cases), yet challenges persist because damage to normal tissue through direct impact of radiation or bystander effects is inevitable. Injury of macrovessels by RT manifests as obstructive disease, which is akin to atherosclerotic disease. Historically observed in coronary arteries of patients treated for breast cancer and lymphoma, it also affects patients receiving contemporary therapy for lung and chest cancers. Moreover, radiation at various sites can lead to peripheral vascular disease. An aspect of radiation-induced injury that has received little attention is microvascular injury, which typically results from …

Qualitative Insights Into School Improvement Practices: Stakeholder Perceptions In Ghanaian Junior High Schools, Mark Quansah Dr., Emmanuel Erastus Yamoah Dr

The Qualitative Report

This study aims to explore diverse perspectives on strategies for enhancing academic performance in Ghanaian Junior High Schools (JHSs). Recognizing the importance of context and stakeholder input, the research investigates the perceptions of teachers, headteachers, and school improvement support officers (SISOs) regarding effective school improvement practices. The study examined two Ghanaian districts using a qualitative case study design within an interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling with maximum variance was used to target 20 participants, including 10 teachers, five headteachers, and five SISOs. Semi-structured interviews were used for data gathering, and the results were subjected to thematic analysis to find trends and …

Demystifying Research Paradigms: Navigating Ontology, Epistemology, And Axiology In Research, Lynette Pretorius

The Qualitative Report

A sound understanding of research paradigms is crucial for developing coherent and philosophically grounded research designs, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. This paper offers an accessible overview of the most common research paradigms: positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, social constructionism, interpretivism, pragmatism, and critical realism. These paradigms differ in their approaches to ontology (the nature of reality), epistemology (the nature of knowledge), and axiology (the role of values in research). The paper also discusses the methodological and ethical implications of these paradigms. Reflexivity and ethical responsibility are emphasised, where researchers must account for how their own biases and values influence …

Student Misbehaviors, University Instructors’’ Mental Health, And Trauma Management: A Phenomenological Study, Abdul Karim, Bineeta Rahman, Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan

The Qualitative Report

The present study aimed to unpack student misbehaviors that instructors face inside the university campus. It also intended to unfold how student misbehaviors affect instructors’ mental health and how they overcome the trauma engendered by student misbehaviors. Adopting a phenomenological approach, we explored the phenomenon to answer the research questions by conducting semi-structured interviews with six teachers. Through a thematic analysis, we found that university instructors experience various misbehaviors presented by students inside the university campus, and as a result, their mental health suffers. However, instructors tend to ignore their mental health and focus on academic activities to overcome the …

Insider-Outsider Research, Qualitative Discovery, And The Enhancement Of Social Justice, Randa Abbas, Deborah Court

The Qualitative Report

We have for over twenty years researched the Israeli Druze community in an insider- outsider research partnership, coming to deep understanding of the family and communal factors that limit the access of Druze and Muslim women to higher education and academic and professional advancement. These research insights have enabled us, in the academic institution where we work, to enact practices that increase academic and professional access for these women. While we did not plan this as a research focus or goal, we have lately come, in inductive fashion, to the realization that this is social justice work. According to John …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

Drug And Biomarker Tissue Levels In A Randomized Presurgical Trial On Exemestane Alternative Schedules, Davide Serrano, Harriet Johansson, Bjørn-Erik Bertelsen, Sara Gandini, Gunnar Mellgren, Parijatham Thomas, Katherine D Crew, Nagi B Kumar, Debora Macis, Valentina Aristarco, Aliana Guerrieri-Gonzaga, Matteo Lazzeroni, Mauro D'Amico, Tania Buttiron-Webber, Irene Maria Briata, Stefano Spinaci, Viviana Galimberti, Lana A Vornik, Eduardo Villar-Sanchez, Powel H Brown, Brandy M Heckman-Stoddard, Eva Szabo, Bernardo Bonanni, Andrea Decensi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The drug's activity at the target tissue could help to define the minimal effective dose to promote cancer preventive therapy. Here we present exemestane and sex hormone concentrations within breast tissue from a presurgical study of alternative exemestane schedules. Postmenopausal women candidates for breast surgery for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer were randomly assigned to exemestane 25 mg once daily (QD), 25 mg 3 times/week (TIW), or 25 mg per week (QW) for 4-6 weeks before surgery. Drug and sex hormones were analyzed from homogenized frozen tissue using a QTRAP 6500+ LC-MS/MS System. Tissue drug concentrations were detectable only in the …

Food At Sea On The Late Antique Mediterranean, Andrew Donnelly, Justin Leidwanger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

At-Risk And Online: Parent Perceptions Of At-Risk Learner's Supports In A Fully Online School, Dennis Beck

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

At-risk students face a variety of challenges that encompass cultural, social and environmental contexts and identities. Full time virtual schools offer help for at-risk students through the provision of a personalized learning option where students can catch up with past work or complete school work in a non-traditional environment. The purpose of this study was to understand parent perceptions of at-risk learner’s affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement supports in a fully online school. Although research exists on at-risk learners in blended environments, this topic has not yet been fully explored for fully online schools. We need a much fuller understanding …

Pathway-Based Clustering Identifies Two Subtypes Of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Associated With Distinct Molecular And Clinical Features In Pancreatic Ductal Carcinoma, Hongjing Ai, Rongfang Nie, Xiaosheng Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Existing single-cell clustering methods are based on gene expressions that are susceptible to dropout events in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. To overcome this limitation, we proposed a pathway-based clustering method for single cells (scPathClus). scPathClus first transforms single-cell gene expression matrix into pathway enrichment matrix and generates its latent feature matrix. Based on the latent feature matrix, scPathClus clusters single cells using the method of community detection. Applying scPathClus to PDAC scRNA-seq datasets, we identified two types of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), termed csCAFs and gapCAFs, which highly expressed complement system and gap junction-related pathways, respectively. Spatial transcriptome analysis revealed …

Issue 41

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

The Care Crisis: The Neurology Of Dementia And International Solutions, Sophie Paton

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Filtered Reality: Artificial Intelligence In Social Media & The Mental Health Of Adolescents, Maria Savva

Open Educational Resources

This instructional module was developed for teacher candidates preparing to teach in New York secondary schools, which include middle (6-8) and high schools (9-12). A three-pronged approach has been used to ensure teacher candidates develop a comprehensive and contemporary understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it relates both to their respective disciplines and its impact on the adolescents they will be teaching. Using a three-pronged approach, teacher candidates will: consider the rapidly changing landscape of their own discipline and how it has been impacted by developments in AI; examine the effects of AI, including through social media platforms, on the …

Integration Of Ai In Project Management World And Impacts, Shravani Ramaiah, Keerthivasan Kumar

School of Professional Studies

In organizations, effective project management is crucial to achieving business objectives. The ability to gain real-time insights from dynamic data across areas such as finance, resource allocation, and performance metrics can significantly enhance decision-making. Instead of relying on manual report generation, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enable managers to access actionable insights instantly. AI-driven analytical tools provide live data analysis, allowing managers to make more informed and timely decisions. This is especially important when paired with Agile methodologies, as AI can help streamline processes, reduce manual effort, and maximize efficiency by automating routine tasks and providing predictive analytics. …

Chronic Illness Education 2024: Enhancing Resources For Addressing Childhood Obesity, Ankita Satyavarapu, Ihunanya Agomuoh, Kaab Husain, Kristofer Hilliard, Rachel Lycans, Rene Andino-Galva, William Burstein

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Chronic Illness Education 2024: Enhancing Patient Communication With Visual Effect In Cardiovascular Disease Management, Brendan Dolan, Candace Marquette, Diana Duque, Hyun Kyu Park, Kendra Juliette, Mohull Mehta

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Chronic Illness Education 2024: It’S 10pm. Do You Know How Your Children Are?, Abed Najjar, Chase Moscovic, Natalie Erickson, Rebecca Weber, Thomas Deppong, Tyler Zweng

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.