Digital Commons Network^™

Undergraduate Engagement In Neutron Scattering As A Pathway To U.S. Competitiveness And A Diverse Scientific Workforce, Hillary L. Smith

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

Engaging undergraduate students in neutron scattering experiments through beamtime trips, student internships, or class visits is a powerful driver of scientific progress in the United States. These experiences provide hands-on exposure to advanced instrumentation, mentorship from diverse scientists, and insight into large-scale research infrastructure. By contributing meaningfully to proposal development, sample preparation, data collection, and data analysis, students develop confidence, scientific identity, and a sense of belonging, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Early engagement cultivates a skilled and motivated scientific workforce, strengthens the capabilities and mission of national laboratories, and ensures continued U.S. leadership in discovery and innovation.

Gli Weekly, February 3, 2026, Franke Global Leadership Initiative

GLI Weekly

Advising Information -- Beyond the Classroom Experience Planning -- Join GLI for Heart Filled Thank-Yous -- Franke Fellow Barrett Clement to give a lecture on Japan --Seniors/Graduating class: Nominate a student speaker -- Calling All GLI Seniors -- We're recruiting a VISTA for the Franke GLI -- Save the Date: 2026 Martin Luth King, Jr. Lecture: "Resistance, Resilience, and Radical Love" with Dr. Regina Shands Stolfzfus -- Flathead Biological Station Summer 2026 Courses: Application Now Open -- National Student Exchange deadlines -- Spring Study Abroad priority deadline -- Food Systems Panel: Eat with Understanding: A Student's Guide to Food Systems …

Flexible Integrated Toolkit For Biomanufacturing Infrastructure Technology (Fitbit), Stephen Balakirsky, Bharat Kanwar, Francisco Robles, Jie Xu, Brian Wicker, Jing Li, Benjamin Joffe

Advancing Manufacture of Cell and Gene Therapies IX [2026]

Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Approved Programs 2-3-26, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Programs Agenda 1-27-26, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes 2-3-26, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Male Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias Jubatus) Skull, Jade A. Mells, Nicholas D. Burchett, Amy Hirons

Hirons Field Techniques

No abstract provided.

Quality Assurance Report For Year 2022 Estuarine Water Quality Datasonde Monitoring, Lara M. Martin

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Developing Deep Neural Network Based Brain Computational Models From Psychophysics Data Of Some Simple Perceptual Phenomena: Visual As Well As Auditory, Chandran Keerthi S

Doctoral Theses

The thesis, consisting of nine chapters, explores the methodology of building testable brain computational models using Deep Neural Networks (DNN), which are trained by psychophysics data. Psychophysics is the quantitative study of perception of physical stimuli. In psychophysics experiments, one or more parameters associated with the stimuli are changed, and the human subject’s responses to the stimuli are recorded. This thesis encompasses both experimental psychophysics works, as well as computational models of the phenomena involved. The contributory chapters of the thesis start in Chapter 2 with the perspective building of the novel methodology followed throughout this research involving psychophysics on …

Reassessing Transketolase Assays: Methodological Considerations For Detecting Functional Thiamine Deficiency, Katie A. Edwards

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency due to degradation, inadequate intake, impaired absorption, or increased metabolic demand remains prevalent in both human and animal populations. In its diphosphate form (thiamine diphosphate, TDP), thiamine serves as an essential cofactor for metabolic enzymes, including transketolase (TKT), a rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose-phosphate pathway. Measurement of TKT activity with and without exogenous TDP provides a functional assessment of thiamine utilization that serves as a surrogate for or complements direct quantification of thiamine forms. Beyond its historical role as a deficiency-screening tool, the TKT assay offers opportunities to interrogate enzyme function and cofactor dependence. Strategic variation …

February 2026 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

What Goals? Which Point? Whose Purpose? A Critical Engagement With Sport Internalism, Francisco Javier Lopez Frias

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In this article, I critique the dominance of internalism in sport philosophy and outline an alternative theoretical framework that integrates internal and external elements while striving to transcend the dichotomous language used to conceptualize sport. The analysis begins by claiming that internalism conflates three fundamental teleological aspects of sport: goals, point, and purposes. I argue that this conflation limits internalism’s ability to explain the complexity of sporting practices. By carefully distinguishing these elements, I illustrate their distinct roles in shaping sport and explore how they interact. I conclude by proposing that the alternative pluralist framework briefly sketched here enables a …

Programs Agenda 2-3-26, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Role Of Depression And Anxiety On Brain Care Scores In A Primary Care Setting: A Preliminary Analysis Of The Bham Registry, Terina Lane Myers

ETDs from 2020-2029

While the field of brain aging research continues to grow at a rapid pace, there is still much to learn about how certain factors influence brain aging as well as when and how these factors can be intervened upon. Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases continue to pose a major obstacle to healthy brain aging and the better we understand the risk factors of these diseases, the greater chance we have at mitigation strategies and prevention. Previous research has identified key factors, consisting of physical, lifestyle, and socio-emotional aspects of life, which have the greatest impact on brain aging. These factors overlap …

Recovery And Tree Resilience After Winter Storm Fern, Glenn Boyce

University of Mississippi News

In the aftermath of winter storm "Fern," our campus and community continue to navigate the impacts of this devastating natural disaster. Our focus remains on keeping our people safe, recovery, our return to normal operations and continued daily updates. I am writing to address the topic of recovery related to the beloved trees that grace our campus.

Cover Crop Functional Groups Controls Decomposition And Nutrient Release In Conservation Tillage-Based Corn Production Systems, Puja Sapkota

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Grass-legume cover crop mixtures are promoted to balance ecosystem services, but predicting their decomposition and nutrient release remains a challenge. A two-year litterbag study investigated the decomposition of cereal rye, crimson clover, their field mixture, and a gradient of biomass proportions in a no-till corn system. Monocultures exhibited a strong functional dichotomy where rye decomposed slowly with a large recalcitrant fraction and clover decomposed rapidly. The field mixture yielded high biomass similar to rye and exhibited intermediate decomposition kinetics. Crucially, analysis of non-additive effects revealed a fundamental decoupling as the residue mass loss showed context-dependent synergistic acceleration but nitrogen release …

Humane Genetics Curriculum (Hgc) Student Materials Lesson 3, Phillip Keck, Brian Donovan, Monica Weindling, Andrew Brubaker, Robbee Wedow

Humane Genetics Curriculum

In this lesson of the Humane Genetics Curriculum (HGC), students figure out: The amount of genetic variation within any racial group is large, the amount of shared within-group variation is large, and the amount of between-group variation is small.

Humane Genetics Curriculum (Hgc) Student Materials Lesson 9, Phillip Keck, Brian Donovan, Monica Weindling, Andrew Brubaker, Robbee Wedow

Humane Genetics Curriculum

In this lesson of the Humane Genetics Curriculum (HGC), students figure out: Misinformation about racial disparities can be refuted with scientific evidence.

Humane Genetics Curriculum (Hgc) Teacher Materials, Phillip Keck, Brian Donovan, Monica Weindling, Andrew Brubaker, Robbee Wedow

Humane Genetics Curriculum

These are the comprehensive teacher materials for the Humane Genetics Curriculum (HGC). The materials include an overview of the unit, connections to aligned NGSS standards, and detailed instructions and guidance for implementing each lesson of this curriculum in your classroom.

Epidemiology Of Healthcare-Associated Ventriculitis And Meningitis (Hcavm) And Community-Acquired Meningitis/Encephalitis And Evaluation Of An Off-Label Pcr Panel For Hcavm Diagnosis, Jaime Nassur, Katarina Schnell, Christine Dolon, Laura Walters, Devin Weber, Matthew Pettengill

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis (HCAVM) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, but rapid diagnostic tests intended to cover microorganisms that typically cause HCAVM are not commercially available. We sought to evaluate the etiology of HCAVM compared to community-acquired meningitis/encephalitis (CAME) at our healthcare system, and to study the utility of repurposing a multiplex molecular panel intended for positive blood cultures for HCAVM cases. Our epidemiologic review demonstrated that HCAVM cases were primarily caused by bacteria and fungi also associated with bloodstream infections, in contrast with CAME cases, which were primarily caused by herpesviruses and Cryptococcus. Eighty-two cerebrospinal fluid …

Mycelium-Based Composites Using Minimally Processed Industrial Hemp Biomass: Impact Of Species And Feedstock Ratio On Mechanical Performance Compared To Polystyrene Packaging, Radika Bhaskar, Tanisha Rutledge, Kevin Trangone, Oneal Latimore

School of Design and Engineering Papers

Mycelium-based composites (MBCs\) are formed from lignocellulosic substrates and biopolymer matrices derived from fungal mycelium. Due to their low fossil energy demand and biodegradability, MBCs represent a versatile and sustainable material suitable for a range of applications, with increasing interest focused on packaging. Hemp fibers are an example of natural fibers with great promise as a substrate to improve the mechanical properties of MBCs. However, the separation of bast and hurd fiber requires processing and commercial-scale facilities that are logistically challenging and may be cost-prohibitive. Here, the potential for minimally processed hemp, with no separation of fibers, is evaluated for …

Immunogenicity And Efficacy Of A Rabies-Based Vaccine Against Highly Pathogenic Influenza H5n1 Virus, Nir Paran, Christoph Wirblich, Randy Albrecht, Leila Zabihi Diba, Alessandro Tarquinio, Drishya Kurup, Charalambos C. Solomides, Adolfo García-Sastre, Matthias J. Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

The recent spillover of highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1 (HPAI-H5N1) viruses to cattle, other mammals, and humans poses a major risk to animal and human health. Virus adaptation to new species highlights the need for effective vaccines for animals and humans. We recently developed a rabies virus-based H5 vaccine encoding the HPAI-H5 antigen and presenting it on the surface of the rabies virus particle. To test the immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine in eliciting systemic and mucosal immune response, we vaccinated mice intramuscularly or intranasally with either live or inactivated and adjuvanted vaccine. The vaccine elicited neutralizing antibodies against RABV …

Exploring Turkish Adolescents’ Humor Styles And Social-Emotional Skills In Relation To Gender, Alev Üstündağ, Elif Dursun, İlayda Avcı

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

We conducted this study to explore the relationship between different humor styles and social-emotional competence in terms of gender differences in Turkish adolescents. A total of 504 high school students participated in this descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study. The age of the subjects ranged from 15 to 18 years. We used a demographic information form, the Child Humor Styles Questionnaire (CHSQ), and the Social Emotional Competency Questionnaire as data collection tools. The data were analyzed with percentage and mean, t test in independent groups, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. We found a relationship between gender and humor …

Cellular Therapy For The Treatment Of Ischemic Limb Disease, Akazha Nicole Green

ETDs from 2020-2029

Ischemic limb disease continues to pose major clinical challenges. The effect of this disease causes restricted blood flow, which is followed by a limited ability to regenerate in the vascular tissues. The purpose of this study is to address the current limitations in producing large-scale generation of Smooth Muscle Cells (SMCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and then assessing their potential therapeutic efficiency individually and in combination with endothelial cells (ECs) for vascular repair. A dynamic three-dimensional (3D) culture system was integrated with a two- dimensional (2D) expansion to enhance cell culture yield while maintaining contractile marker …

Imodmix: Integrative Module Analysis For Multi-Omics Data., Isis Narváez-Bandera, Ashley Lui, Yonatan Ayalew Mekonnen, Vanessa Rubio, Augustine Takyi, Noah Sulman, Christopher Wilson, Hayley D. Ackerman, Oscar E. Ospina, Guillermo Gonzalez-Calderon, Elsa R. Flores, Qian Li, Ann Chen, Brooke L. Fridley, Paul A. Stewart

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

SUMMARY: Integrative Module Analysis for Multi-omics Data (iModMix) is a biology-agnostic framework that enables the discovery of novel associations across any type of quantitative abundance data, including but not limited to transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Instead of relying on pathway annotations or prior biological knowledge, iModMix constructs data-driven modules using graphical lasso to estimate sparse networks from omics features. These modules are summarized into eigenfeatures and correlated across datasets for horizontal integration, while preserving the distinct feature sets and interpretability of each omics type. iModMix operates directly on matrices containing expression or abundances for a wide range of features, including …

Culture: The Missing Link In Sustainable Food Systems, Nathan Einbinder

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This paper explores the sustainability potential of food and farming culture, which is largely overlooked by mainstream approaches for transitioning food systems. I present two cases where food and farming culture is alive and thriving—in the Maya-Achí territory of Guatemala and in Wales—illustrating how cultural practices and values may contribute to global sustainability challenges and resilience.

Perspectives Of Efl Teachers Toward The Influence Of Ai Writing Tools On Students' Writing Content And Organization, Nguyen Huu Hoang

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study investigated Vietnamese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perspectives on the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools on students’ writing content and organization, examining tool selection patterns and effectiveness relationships through a mixed-methods approach.

Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with six EFL teachers, followed by a survey of 52 teachers from various Vietnamese universities. Data analysis integrated thematic analysis of qualitative data with correlation and regression analyses of survey responses to examine relationships between usage patterns, institutional factors, and effectiveness ratings.

Results: Teachers strategically combined multiple …

Exploring Sex Differences In Stroke Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis From The Span 1 Trial, Anjali Chauhan, Eunyoung Angela Lee, Rakesh B Patel, Mariia Kumskova, Enrique C Leira, Anil Chauhan, Yanrong Shi, Suyi Cao, Raymond C Koehler, Krishnan M Dhandapani, Mohammad Badruzzaman Khan, Pradip K Kamat, Ali Arbab, David C Hess, Alison L Herman, Ligia Boisserand, Lauren H Sansing, Andreia Morais, Xuyan Jin, Sanem Aykan, Takahiko Imai, Cenk Ayata, Karisma A Nagarkatti, Jessica Lamb, Márcio A Diniz, Patrick D Lyden, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Louise D Mccullough

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease, with different risk factors, incidence, outcomes, and treatment responses in men and women. While sex differences have been documented in preclinical studies, these findings often come from single-site studies with small sample sizes and require validation across diverse research settings.

Methods: We used data from the SPAN (Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network), a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded, multilaboratory trial, to determine if sex differences in neurological outcomes are present in preclinical stroke models. We analyzed data from 665 stroke animals treated with saline, including young mice, diet-induced obese mice, aging mice, young rats, and spontaneously …

Front Matter, Vol. 17

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

End Matter, Vol. 17

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.