Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Solution Concept Inventory For The High School Chemistry Classroom, Grace Tetschner

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Many high school chemistry students struggle to learn the chemistry of solutions because they hold alternate conceptions—beliefs that differ from scientifically accepted ideas—related to the topics covered in a traditional solution unit. For this reason, high school chemistry teachers would benefit from the development of a Solution Concept Inventory (SCI)—a multiple-choice assessment that could be used in the high school classroom to identify student alternate conceptions on the concept of solutions. In this study, common solution-related alternate conceptions were identified, items for an SCI were developed, an analysis was performed to determine the quality of the items, and validity evidence …

Seeking Sanctuary: An Analysis Of U Visa Policies In Omaha, Nebraska And Their Impact On Immigrant Communities, Emma Ehmke

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Since 2000, immigrants have been eligible for U visa status if they are a victim of a particular crime and assist law enforcement in criminal investigations. However, challenges arise for numerous reasons with the I-918 Supplement B form, which must be signed by an agency certifier within law enforcement or an attorney’s office. This study examines the policies of six law enforcement agencies and attorney’s offices in the Omaha Metro Area through semi-structured interviews to understand their approach to U visas and the characteristics of successful applications. The study aims to uncover variations in agency procedures and understandings and the …

Math Minds, Lauren Gearhart

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

During this capstone project, three instructional and three formative assessment strategies were integrated into a fourth-grade math unit involving multiplication of fractions. This math unit consisted of seven instructional days including a pre-test and post-test. The strategies focused on student engagement and progression throughout the unit. Following analysis of the data collected on the instructional strategies and the formative assessments, the student's performance increased. I collected data from the pre- and post-tests that evidenced the turn and talks, think aloud, small groups, exit tickets, student whiteboards, and observation were effective instructional and assessment strategies to enhance student achievement. This capstone …

Optimization Of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Antibody For Immunohistochemistry Fluorescence Detection In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Madison Thurber

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter produced through the catecholamine synthesis pathway that affects brain activity. Unregulated dopamine levels can lead to various diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Optimization of an immunohistochemistry protocol will allow for the quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase antibody, which indirectly allows for dopamine quantification in dopaminergic regions within the brain. However, the antibody concentration to give the optimal signal-to-noise ratio in IHC varies across studies. Through this experiment, I determined the concentration of tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) antibody for immunohistochemistry that gave the best signal-to-background noise ratio within several known dopaminergic regions …

Addressing Athletes Coexisting Conditions Of Autism And Depression: Participants Self-Report Decreased Feelings Of Depression Post Exercise, Joshua Sutton, Saundra Shillingstad, Jessica Baldwin

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The goal of this study was to evaluate if exercise would decrease depressive symptoms of participants who reported having coexisting conditions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and depression. Research has reported that autistic people have increased rates of depression, in comparison to general populations (Unruh et al., 2020). The purpose of this research was to evaluate if exercise would decrease depressive symptoms of the Unified Fitness athlete participants who self-identified as having depressive symptoms and ASD. This research was conducted during the Fall 2023 semester as an extension of the class Kinesiology Practicum, using the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) …

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (Cvst): A Retrospective Study, Nia Acharya

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This retrospective study investigates the long-term management of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST) in 51 patients over a 3-month follow-up. The analysis covers demographics, risk factors, CVST presentation, associated diseases, thrombophilia, laboratory results, and antithrombotic treatments. CVST, a rare thrombosis of dural/cerebral sinuses, poses life-threatening risks with an annual incidence aligning with literature, notably affecting young individuals. Underlying causes range from rare disorders to common triggers, complicating diagnosis, especially during pregnancy. Imaging techniques aid diagnosis, with systemic anticoagulation preferred despite bleeding risks. Noteworthy findings include a higher incidence in women, predominantly presenting with headaches. Two cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic …

Effects Various Distilled Water Brands Have On Chlorophytum Comosum., Brooke Bluhm

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

When first attempting home gardening, one of the challenges many home-renters are starting to face is being able to supply enough clean water to one’s plants. In order to overcome this challenge, many plant enthusiasts are utilizing prepackaged distilled water from price friendly brands available at most regional Walmart locations. With the number of choices available on the shelves of today’s grocery stores, and vague ingredient lists on packaging it can be challenging to determine which brand is actually best suited for one’s specific needs. In order to determine the best distilled water suited to grow Chlorophytum comosum, various gallons …

Preparing 3rd Graders For Addition & Subtraction Using Differentiated Instructional & Assessment Methods, Emily Brasfield

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the effectiveness of four instructional strategies and two assessment methods that were integrated into a second-grade mathematics unit. The unit focused on addition and subtraction within 1,000 with missing numbers and story problems. The unit was taught over five days. The unit included both a pre- and post-assessment to assist in documenting student growth from the first to the last lesson. In my capstone, I will discuss the most effective instructional and assessment strategies and their impact students learning. After the completion of this unit, I analyzed the pre- and post-assessment data. I discovered that using …

The Age Of Adolescence: Examining The Relationship Between Body Image And Mood In Early Adolescence, Destiny R. Klanecky

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The current study sought to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and early adolescent mood with the intent of raising awareness and prevention, as well as intervention, when it comes to negative mental health and depressive mood in early adolescence. General self-worth acted as the outcome variable, examining body dissatisfaction, gender, and affect as potential predictor variables of lower general self-worth at the end of the school year. All measures were done through self-report questionnaires. Correlations were run to determine gender differences among the variables of interest and a hierarchical regression was done to account for change in general self-worth …

Verbs In Context: Project Based Learning As Intrinsic Motivation, Trinity Weers

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project studied the effects of teaching grammar in context and allowing students to engage in content through project-based learning. Data shows that teaching grammar in context through project-based learning and a broader plan of study effectively gives weight to the study of grammar, and helps students gain current mastery while preparing for future learning. This unit started with a pretest, had seven days of instruction and formative assessment, and ended with a summative project that students had three days to complete. Students designed verb posters as their summative assessment and these posters were saved for future seventh graders …

Teaching Students How To Fill Out Job Applications In A Special Education Classroom, Lucas Gappa

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In this capstone project different instructional and assessment strategies were used during student instruction to help students see how to assist them is being able to fill out job applications. In the span of seven teaching days, five lessons on the subject and two testing periods are the duration of time spent on the unit. Starting with a Pretest and ending with the final assessment to see the progress made with the students. Adjustments were made during instruction, and students were engaged in reflection to help the students' performance. The lesson was initially scheduled for 5 days of instruction, but …

Phonics In Kindergarten: Introducing Digraphs Using Scaffolding And Manipulatives, Courtney Brink

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In my capstone project, I incorporated multiple strategies that supported students’ learning of and engagement with lessons on three digraphs: sh, th, and ch. My objective was not to teach to mastery, but instead to expose students to higher level literacy concepts and build their background knowledge for future lessons. Based on student artifacts, students gained multiple opportunities for exposure and practice of reading and writing words with digraphs. The assessment data does not directly support an improvement in student performance with independent writing. This capstone will highlight the instructional and assessment strategies I used, the data I collected, and …

Implementing Instructional And Assessment Strategies To Improve Student Success In Art, Hayden Thomaier

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

For my honors capstone project, I taught a 3-week unit to my Art III class at a suburban high school in Nebraska. This unit covered concepts such as color theory, composition, and how to create the illusion of depth within a piece of art. This unit ended with the students creating a 24x30 in. painting of a space that was personal to them. The instructional strategies that I used throughout the unit included learning objectives, providing feedback, and nonlinguistic forms of representation. The assessment strategies I used included a pre and post-assessment at the beginning and end of the unit, …

Ethics In Law And The Effects On Mental Health: An Interview Study, Kaitlyn Nyffeler

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

On August 2, 1983, The American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct were adopted by the House of Delegates. This set of rules provides legal professionals with the guidance needed to uphold the rule of law and to preserve justice. In this set of rules, lawyers learn the duties of confidentiality, client relations, diligence, and the overall conduct owed to the courts. Furthermore, these duties can be demanding and oftentimes challenging. Therefore, this study examined the different ethical rules as they apply to lawyers and how these demands can impact their mental health. Interviews were conducted with six lawyers …

The Effect Of An Oak Savanna Habitat Restoration On Bat Activity In Eastern Nebraska, Aidan Hatfield, Jeremy White

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Oak savanna habitat has been drastically reduced throughout the Midwest. Temperate bats generally are edge adapted and may better utilize a restored oak savanna habitat than the now common deciduous forests that replaced them. Therefore, we analyzed the activity of 7 bats native to eastern Nebraska and in the process, compared the agreement of two different programs that claim to automatically identify bat species. In order to investigate this, we placed three audio detectors within both habitats for 1 week and allowed them to record from sunset to sunrise. The data obtained was analyzed and compared between two programs, Kaleidoscope …

Modern Technology And Its Impact On The Control Panel Manufacturing Industry, Keegan Kenney

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This paper will explore emerging technologies and their effect within the control panel manufacturing industry. A control panel is defined by Automation Ready Panels as, “a metallic box that allows the person to control all electric equipment, appliances, and circuits mechanically by using electric energy” (What is an Electrical Control Panel?, 2022; Refer to Appendix A for a visual on what a control panel looks like). These are most commonly seen in large industrial equipment, such as assembly lines, rock crushers, etc. The innovations studied in this paper include 2D and 3D drawing, augmented reality, computer assisted manufacturing, …

Utilizing Collaborative Learning To Analyze And Represent Data During A Graphing Unit, Emily Mangano

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the effects of various differentiated instructional and assessment strategies that were integrated into a third-grade math unit on data collection and representation. The unit was conducted over 12 days. It consisted of nine lessons, a review lesson, a pre-test, and a post test. I will explain the data I collected, the instructional strategies I implemented, and the assessment strategy used to track student progress. The instructional strategies included collaborative learning, cues and questions, feedback. A pre- and post-test were administered, and the data analyzed. Based on the data I collected, the students improved in their knowledge …

Teaching Addition And Subtraction Story Problems To Second Grade Students Utilizing A Differentiated Instructional Strategies, Rene Gold

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the effectiveness of four instructional strategies and two assessment methods that were integrated into a second-grade mathematics unit. The unit focused on addition and subtraction within 1,000 with missing numbers and story problems. The unit was taught over five days. The unit included both a pre-and post-assessment to assist in documenting student growth from the first to the last lesson. In my capstone, I will discuss the most effective instructional and assessment strategies and their impact on students' learning. After the completion of this unit, I analyzed the pre- and post-assessment data. I discovered that using …

Enhancing 3rd Grade Learning Of Multiplication And Division With Differentiated Instructional Strategies, Kennedy Bradburn

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the differentiated instructional strategies and assessment methods implemented throughout a math unit in a third-grade classroom. The capstone will report the effectiveness of two instructional strategies and three assessment methods that were integrated into a math unit that focused on students’ understanding of multiplication and division. The math unit had 10 lessons taught over two weeks between the pre-test and the final checkpoint. Based on student data, students’ understanding, and performance increased throughout this unit by using a variety of differentiated instructional strategies and assessment methods. In this capstone, I will outline the instructional strategies and …

Methamphetamine Activates Microglia And Increases Production Of Pro-Inflammatory Chemokine C-C Ligand 2, Colton Bredenkamp

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Methamphetamine (meth) use continues to increase in the United States despite the apparent health risks that involve neuroinflammation and brain damage. Because neuroinflammation underlies several substance-use and neurological disorders, we investigated whether microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, are activated and consequently increase production of pro-inflammatory chemokines such as C- C chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) in the presence of increasing amounts of meth. To address this, we exposed immortalized microglia cells (IMG) isolated from mature mouse brains to increasing concentrations of meth (0, 10, 50, 100, 500 µM) and analyzed for the expression levels of activation markers (CD11b …

Determining Efficacy Of Check/Solid Stimuli Pair Vs Light/Dark Stimuli Pair For Pavlovian Fear Learning In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Kortney Johnson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Learning is a survival skill because it allows organisms to recall vital details about their habitats. Associative learning is another of those skills, the ability to pair two different stimuli in memory and associate them together upon recall. It has been studied in zebrafish with Pavlovian fear learning used as a methodology. Previous studies have utilized Check/Solid patterning, however, there are no published studies exploring alternative stimuli that could be effective in aversive learning. This study sought to determine if Check/Solid was the most effective at inducing aversive learning or if Light/Dark would be more efficient, due to zebrafish’s natural …

Selectivity Studies Of Cbds Against Cb1 And Cb2 Using Docking Approach, Brandon Villanueva Sanchez, Andy Zhong

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Cannabis sativa is an herbal plant that is used for recreational and medicinal purposes. The two main components, ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), are responsible for the two different uses. Both compounds have been heavily researched, with their mechanisms of action, docking site, and binding affinity and efficacy identified. Researchers have synthesized various analogs by altering the carbon side chains of THC/CBD’s molecular structures. These synthetic analogs have been created to study the structure-function relationship of different molecules to the endocannabinoid system receptors, CB1 and CB2. Here, we conduct a docking study of various THC/CBD analogs to both receptors using …

Female Choice: Attraction In The Animal Kingdom, Lindsay Culpepper

Honors Theses

Across taxa, choosing a mate is one of the most crucial decisions a female can make. This choice can come with direct benefits like protection and parenting assistance, but it may also provide indirect benefits through the survival of her offspring and thus the continuation of her genes. The female considers numerous qualities when making that choice, evaluating aspects of potential mates’ physical appearance and behavior. Understanding female choice is crucial to effective animal conservation and management, as it has significant implications for captive breeding programs, both in terms of output and in preparing offspring for release. This thesis will …

Representation And The Achievement Gap: A Case For Prioritizing Cultural Sameness In The Classroom, Taryn J. Fears

M.S. in Leadership

Abstract

This study examined the impact of cultural representation on achievement for minority students academically and socially across diverse contexts. Recognizing the importance of cultural diversity in educational and youth mentoring settings, this research explores how the representation of various cultural identities, including race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status, influences student achievement outcomes. Coming from a background in community based nonprofit organizations, I have seen how black and brown students respond in classroom and out-of-school time settings when having come in contact with teachers and mentors of similar culture. Having a teacher and/or mentor of a similar culture creates pathways …

How Is International Orchid Trade Regulated, And How Effective Are Those Regulations?, Madeline Roubik

Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award

When investigating the trafficking of wild species, animals are often considered before plants (Phelps et al. 2015). This is especially detrimental to members of the orchidaceae family, which are victims of an extensive illegal trade. It spans the entire globe but is especially concentrated in Southeastern Asia (Phelps et al. 2015). When regarding legislation, however, orchidaceae species are some of the most protected in the world. International legislation such as CITES restricts the movement of endangered orchidaceae across borders (Hinsley 2018). The 1992 Convention on Biodiversity (Lawson et al. 2019) also has policies regarding international orchid trade. National laws regulate …

Examining The Relationship Between Manning's Roughness Coefficient And Stage, Henry Holtkamp

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper uses LOESS regression to predict Manning's roughness coefficient to calculate flows in natural stream channels. Manning's roughness coefficient can introduce variability into Manning's equation, potentially destabilizing results. Utilizing LOESS to find n based on backcalculated n from collected discharge vs. stage information is the best way to acquire accurate Manning's roughness coefficient values at a variety of flows. Book values tend to drastically overestimate which can have wide-ranging implications for water allocation, flood management, maintaining environmental flows, and maintaining water quality.

Culturally Competent Strategies For Tutoring Writing With International Ell Students, Sara Petersen

Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award

Welcome: A brief overview about what will be discussed and what participants can take away

● “International ELL students face a variety of unique challenges that require writing tutors to adjust their approaches to tutoring. In our short time together, I will review some of the many academic and cultural barriers that international ELL students experience in university writing centers as well as culturally competent strategies tutors can implement when working with this population.”

Integrating Galectin-3 Into A Computational Model Of Cardiac Fibrosis Progression, Adam Pieratt

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiac fibrosis, a large contributor to heart failure, is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix in response to stress or injury. There are no approved treatments for cardiac fibrosis, and targeting specific species involved creates complex problems for drug development, so a computational model of the cardiac fibroblast signaling network can be used to observe the interactions involved in the progression of cardiac fibrosis. In this paper, a new protein called galectin-3 is integrated into this existing model, and connections are established to expand the coverage of the network. The additions are described, simulated using Netflux biological system simulation software, …

Predicting True Attributes Of Retailer Data, Abby Willard

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the rapidly evolving landscape of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) retail, understanding the true values of various factors influencing sales performance is paramount for strategic decision-making and effective resource allocation. In ensuring accuracy of data points, the CatBoost model is utilized, a state-of-the-art gradient boosting technique, to predict the true attribution values of datasets sourced from CPG industry retailers.

By leveraging CatBoost’s inherent capabilities to handle categorical data and its robustness against overfitting, the models are optimized to accurately predict the true attribution values for various items. The performance of the CatBoost models is evaluated through rigorous cross-validation techniques and compared …

Baba Yaga: Character Design And Collectible Figurine, Ariel Adams

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

The first edition of a series holds value. It is a bookmark that holds a place in time that the artist can look back to and see the progress that led up to that point, as well as the continued progress that's been made after. Designing and creating a set of characters, bringing the main character through 3D modeling, and printing it has multiple uses in the industry. The techniques learned through this process have been used in toy design, stop-motion animation, museums, and medical applications. 3D printing is advancing and providing an opportunity to create high-definition models that can …