Digital Commons Network^™

Soil Data From Spring Run Conservation Area, Dayton, Ohio, Madelaine Gregory, Valerie N. Thurston, Michaela J. Woods, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Ecosystem Restoration Following Industrial Agriculture

This spreadsheet contains soil data from an experiment in the Spring Run Conservation Area in Dayton, Ohio, USA (39° 46 '42.2"N, 84° 20' 52.5"W). Details of the data collection can be found in the master's thesis "The State of Soil Streamlines Secondary Succession: Remediating Degraded Soils in a Post-Agricultural Field."

The Price Of Precision: Significant Figures And The Student Experience, Ryan Michael Britt

Dissertations

For students pursuing careers in medicine and science, general chemistry is often viewed as a gatekeeper course. Students struggle with general chemistry for a variety of reasons, one of the most common being mathematical difficulties. Compared to other lower division STEM courses, mathematical computation in general chemistry represents a unique challenge for the student due to the special emphasis placed on reporting answers to the proper degree of precision using significant figure (SF) rules. Although these rules feature in nearly every undergraduate chemistry course, their impact on the student experience of learning chemistry has never before been studied.

The purpose …

Oh, My Quad: A Clinical Commentary And Evidence-Based Framework For The Rehabilitation Of Quadriceps Size And Strength After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Braidy Solie, Mitchell Carlson, Christopher Doney, Michael Kiely, Robert Laprade

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Quadriceps weakness after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a well-known phenomenon, with more persistent quadriceps weakness observed after ACLR with a bone-patellar tendon-bone or quadriceps tendon autograft than with a hamstring tendon autograft. Longstanding quadriceps weakness after ACLR has been associated with suboptimal postoperative outcomes and the progression of radiographic knee osteoarthritis, making the recovery of quadriceps size and strength a key component of ACLR rehabilitation. However, few articles have been written for the specific purpose of optimizing quadriceps size and strength after ACLR. Therefore, the purpose of this review article is to integrate the existing quadriceps muscle basic …

Characterizing The Usda-Npgs Germplasm Collection Of Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum Tataricum), Noah Joseph Abasciano

Master's Theses and Capstones

AbstractTartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a promising underutilized crop in the context of New England’s rapidly changing environment (USDA NH State Profile, 2022). Despite substantive prior work on the genetics and nutrition of Tartary buckwheat (Zhang et al., 2017b), many practical questions pertaining to its potential cultivation in New England remain unanswered. This thesis presents the first systematic genotypic and phenotypic screening of the USDA National Plant Germplasm System's (NPGS) Tartary buckwheat germplasm collection in an effort to lay the foundations for future crop improvement efforts. The genotypic assessment of the NPGS Tartary buckwheat germplasm was completed by first bottlenecking …

Modeling Snow Surface Properties From Lidar And Imaging Spectroscopy, Brenton A. Wilder

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal snow surface plays an important role in altering terrestrial hydrology and global climate patterns. Snow reflects a majority of incoming shortwave radiation thereby reducing the net shortwave radiation received into snowpack throughout the season. This property is commonly referred to as snow albedo and impacts water cycles and air temperatures by modulating the timing and magnitude of melt. This reflectivity of snow is difficult to measure accurately in mountain environments and at a large enough scale to be meaningful for water resource managers and climate scientists. The work presented herein aims to improve methodologies to measure snow reflectivity from …

A Delphi Study Exploring Scope And Sequence Of Trauma Education In Counselor Education Master Level Council Of Accreditation Of Counseling Related Education Programs, Alexis A. Hauck

Dissertations

The growing awareness of trauma and its impacts on the social, emotional, and overall wellness of individuals, couples, and families underscores the need for counselor educators to prepare counselors to address trauma symptoms effectively. To bridge this gap, counselor education programs can benefit from expert guidance on the content scope and course sequencing of trauma education in master’s programs.

This research aimed to articulate trauma education scope and sequencing by gathering expert recommendations on best practices for trauma knowledge, awareness, and skill development through clinical experiences in counselor education programs. The grand research question explored expert opinions and beliefs about …

Ephemeral Legacy, Allison Hall

Master's Theses

Recently, my thoughts have centered on the problem of legacy. How do we forge bonds with other humans? What happens on an interpersonal level when these humans pass away, or when we pass, and they continue in life? How do queer spaces consistently offer deeper phenomena of interpersonal legacies; how does death operate as generational catalyst? I am particularly interested in putting these questions in the context of queer spaces. In queer culture, kinship is formed in ways that break from typical western notions of kinship. Despite being incoherent to western notions of family, queer bonds are extremely strong (Bradway …

Investigation Of Magnesium-Potassium Phosphates As Potential Nuclear Waste Form For The Immobilization Of Minor Actinides, Hans Conrad Zur Loye, Petr Vecernik, Monika Kiselova, Vlastislav Kašpar, Hana Korenkova, Vlastimil Miller, Petr Bezdicka, Jan Šubrt, Natalija Murafa, Volodymyr Shkuropatenko, Sergey Sayenko

Faculty Publications

Several recent studies have evaluated technologies of spent nuclear fuel processing specifically for solidifying transuranic (TRU) waste as a by-product of fission. Of the TRU group, plutonium and the minor actinides will be responsible for the bulk of the radiotoxicity and heat generation of spent nuclear fuel in the long term (300 to 20,000 years). In this study, we investigated magnesium potassium phosphate (MKP)-based compounds as host waste forms for the encapsulation of inactive trivalent Nd and Sm as analogues of the minor trivalent actinides, Am and Cm. Waste forms were fabricated under ambient atmospheric conditions by adding 5 wt.% …

Occupational Performance With Formstack: Academic Fieldwork Coordinator's Perceptions And Experiences, Sara Clark

Dissertations

This multiple descriptive case-study explored the perceptions and experiences of eight occupational therapy program academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs), regarding their usage of Formstack, as an online fieldwork data collection system. Previous survey research revealed that AFWCs had positive feelings about the new AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (AOTA, 2020) housed within Formstack (Sanders & Carpenter, 2024), but the AOTA AFWC national list-serve suggests frustration with the online platform itself. Past research by Sanders and Carpenter (2024) also recommended further investigation into the usability of Formstack. To this end, this inquiry focused on two research questions: (a) How do AFWCs at multiple …

Alteration Of Peripheral Cytokines In Alzheimer’S Disease, Zhengshi Yang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with the clinical symptoms of gradual cognitive decline and memory loss. Biologically, abnormal accumulation of Aβ (Aβ) plaque and tau tangles in the brain are the core pathological hallmarks in AD. Although inflammatory response is not specific to AD, emerging evidence suggests that the disrupted innate immune system within the central nervous system, particularly microglial activation, might act as the bridge linking Aβ aggregation to pathological phosphorylation and aggregation of tau. The inflammatory response was suggested to initially have a neuroprotective role of attempting to clear Aβ plaques, and then become neurotoxic …

An Adaptive And Parallel Direct Solver For Elliptic Partial Differential Equations, Damyn Chipman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

We introduce the quadtree-adaptive Hierarchical Poincaré-Steklov (QAHPS) method, an adaptive direct method for solving elliptic partial differential equations on a hierarchy of adaptively refined finite volume meshes. The QAHPS method builds up a solution operator set with O(N^3/2) complexity that acts as the factorization of the system matrix, with linear O(N) complexity for the application of the solution operator set to any number of right-hand side vectors. As the solution operator set is built up by merging local subdomains, it can be adapted as the mesh is refined and coarsened. The method is an …

Salivary Features Of Periodontitis And Gingivitis In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Sreenatha S. Kirakodu, Xiaohua D. Zhang, Dolph Dawson, Craig S. Miller

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with cellular abnormalities, tissue and organ dysfunctions, and periodontitis. This investigation examined the relationship between the oral microbiome and salivary biomarkers in T2DM patients with or without periodontitis. This cohort (35–80 years) included systemically healthy non-periodontitis (NP; n = 31), T2DM without periodontitis (DWoP; n = 32) and T2DM with periodontitis (DWP; n = 29). The oral microbiome [Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs)] (16 s rRNA sequencing) and targeted host salivary biomarkers (immunoassays) were assessed. We identified 47 OTUs that were significantly different in abundance between NP samples and any disease subset or between …

White Hall Green Roof Proposal, Hope Dwyer

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project will propose designs for a GR system while determining the potential cost, the feasibility of the system implementation, as well as potential psychological and educational benefits of a GR system. These factors will be examined and evaluated with regard to two different proposed GR designs: extensive and intensive.

Assembly And Characterization Of 10 Cm × 10 Cm Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Device, Sumona S. Islam

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this thesis is to assemble, demonstrate, and characterize a Cold Atmospheric Pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma array of large active plasma discharge region (10 cm × 10 cm). The array is fabricated using the Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) dielectric material system and silver paste in printing electrodes. It is important to find the optimal operating parameters of the device to achieve uniform emission and to achieve the best response out of the device, which is the main focus of this thesis. The device is assembled from 43 linear discharge elements. Several I-V sweep measurements, capacitance …

(R2104) On The Qualitative Results Of Riemann-Liouville Fractional Order Nonlinear Neutral Singular Systems With Mixed Delays, Abdullah Yiğit, Cemil Tunç

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this manuscript, we discuss new conditions for asymptotic stability of nonlinear Riemann- Liouville fractional mixed-delay neutral singular systems. By constructing a set of improved Lyapunov-Krasovski˘ı functionals (LKFs), we establish some new delay-dependent conditions in terms of matrix inequality, which guarantees that the systems are asymptotically stable. In the particular case, we give four numerical examples with their solutions and graphs via MATLAB software demonstrating the practical applicability of these proven conditions. With this study, some conditions existing in the literature are developed and generalized.

(R2113) A Numerical Method For Solving Linear First-Order Volterra Integro-Differential Equations With Integral Boundary Condition, Zelal Temel, Musa Cakir

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We investigate an efficient numerical method for the linear first-order Volterra integro-differential equations with integral boundary condition. To solve this problem, boundaries are determined for its derivative and the solution. The numerical solutions of the problem are modeled over a uniform mesh using the composite right-side rectangle concept for the integral component and the implicit difference rules for the differential component. Next, the stability and convergence of the numerical approach are discussed. The numerical experiments are presented confirming the accuracy of the proposed scheme.

Understanding The Interactions Between Pollen-Borne Ilarviruses And Pollinators In Peach Orchards, Mandeep Tayal

All Dissertations

Pollen-mediated virus transmission is a common problem in fruit crops. Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) are pollen-borne ilarviruses endemic to the southeastern U.S. and cause substantial losses in peach production. PNRSV and PDV are primarily transmitted through vegetative propagation (grafting) as well as via pollen and seed. However, the role of pollinators in transmission dynamics of these viruses is not well understood. First, I documented the bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina, identifying Bombus and Apis as the most dominant genera, followed by Eucera, Andrena and Habropoda. Bee community composition …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 33. The Story In Evolution., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is best known for his independent formulation of the principle of natural selection. In this work I first review my understanding of Wallace’s intellectual development on this subject, including the notion that he had no model for the evolution of higher consciousness as of his first treatment of natural selection in 1858. This leads to some conclusions about his approach to the subject, and links to parallel ideas inherent in the philosophy of Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Environmental Impact Assessments (Eia): Analysis Of Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessments For The Development Of A Uniform Teia Model, Nicolas Chapa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the evolution, processes, and importance of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), focusing on transboundary EIAs and the need for a uniform framework. Originating from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 in the U.S., EIAs have become globally adopted instruments for assessing and mitigating environmental impacts of development projects. This work reiterates historical milestones, strengths, and current limitations of EIAs. Research also included a review of environmental regulations from Mexico, such as the General Law on Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA). Through several case studies requiring the use of transboundary EIAs, where shared resources and concerns …

Heat Acclimated Algae Improves Heat Tolerance And Longevity In Daphnia, Ashit Dutta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Xenohormesis suggests that consuming stressed food provides physiological adaptation to the consumer for similar stresses. To evaluate this, Daphnia magna was provided with heat-stressed Nannochloropsis limnetica grown at 25℃ whereas the control group was provided Nannochloropsis limnetica grown at 12℃. In the heat tolerance experiment, Daphnia kept at 28℃ and 20℃ while consuming 25℃ algae had significantly higher heat tolerance compared to the control. Additionally, in stressed conditions, Daphnia consuming 25℃-grown food had significantly higher lifespan compared to the control. Next, Daphnia consuming 25℃-grown algae had significantly higher levels of antioxidants which could explain the lifespan extension. Finally, in fatty …

Electrochemical Biosensing Of Cerium With A Tyrosine-Functionalized Ef-Hand Loop Peptide, Sogol Asaei, Geeta Verma, Nicholas S. Sinclair, Julie N. Renner

Faculty Scholarship

The significance of easily detecting rare earth elements (REEs) has increased due to the growing demand for REEs. Addressing this need, we present an innovative electrochemical biosensor, focusing on cerium as a model REE. This biosensor utilizes a modified EF-hand loop peptide sequence, incorporating cysteine for covalent attachment to a gold working electrode and tyrosine as an electrochemically active amino acid. The sensor was designed such that binding to cerium induces a conformational change in the peptide, affecting tyrosine's proximity to the electrode surface, modulating the current. A calibration curve was generated from cyclic voltammetry current peaks at ~0.55–0.65 V …

Epanorama December 2024, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This electronic issue of Panorama includes information on campus holiday events, enrollment information, and awards won during the Society of Adventist Communicators competition in Chicago in October.

Metabolic Shifts In Ratio Of Ucocn To Cocn Toward Bone Resorption Contribute To Age-Dependent Bone Loss In Male Mice, Matthew Bernhard, Obinna Okorie, Wei-Ju Louis Tseng, Mengcun Chen, Julia Danon, Mingshu Cui, Elisabeth Lashbrooks, Yanmei Yang, Bin Wang

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

The study of the senile osteoporosis in men still lags significantly behind that in women. The changes of protein molecule levels and their relationships with bone loss remain poorly understood. In the present study, we used C57BL/6J male mice at ages from 3 to 24 mo to delineate the mechanisms of aging effects on bone loss. We used the microcomputed tomography, mechanical testing, histomorphometry assays, and detection of serum levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOcn) and carboxylated osteocalcin (cOcn) to assess bone mass changes and their relationships with the ratios of ucOcn-to-cOcn in mice from different age groups. The results showed …

Opioid Knowledge And Experiences In Nebraska College Students, Natalie Holding

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study investigated opioid-related knowledge and experiences among 83 Nebraska college students, with an emphasis on awareness, perceived risks, and educational needs regarding opioids and the overdose-reversing drug, naloxone. For participants who have used opioids outside of a doctor’s orders, questions were asked regarding motivations, comorbidities, coping mechanisms, and treatment experiences. Data were collected via an anonymous survey featuring closed- and open-ended questions. Results showed that 41% of participants reported feeling moderately knowledgeable about opioid risks, while 34% felt only slightly knowledgeable. Although 80.7% of participants were aware of naloxone, most were uncertain either about (22.9%) or did not know …

Detecting N-Phenyl-2-Naphthylamine, L-Arabinose, D-Mannose, L-Phenylalanine, L-Methionine, And D-Trehalose Via Photocurrent Measurement, Feng Li, Ruoxi Yang, Jian Xu, Guohai Xu, Ye Wu

Faculty Publications

The concentration of small molecules reflects the normality of physiological processes in the human body, making the development of simple and efficient detection equipment essential. In this work, inspired by a facile strategy in point-of-care detection, two devices were fabricated to detect small molecules via photocurrent measurement. A linear response of the photocurrent against the concentration of the small molecules was found. In the first device, metal ions were introduced into gel substrates made by xanthan gum to enhance photocurrent response. N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine was measured when iron or manganese ions were used. L-Phenylalanine was measured when the gel was modified by …

Employing Raman Spectroscopy And Machine Learning For The Identification Of Breast Cancer, Ya Zhang, Zheng Li, Zhongqiang Li, Huaizhi Wang, Dinkar Regmi, Jian Zhang, Jiming Feng, Shaomian Yao, Jian Xu

Faculty Publications

Background: Breast cancer poses a significant health risk to women worldwide, with approximately 30% being diagnosed annually in the United States. The identification of cancerous mammary tissues from non-cancerous ones during surgery is crucial for the complete removal of tumors. Results: Our study innovatively utilized machine learning techniques (Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)) alongside Raman spectroscopy to streamline and hasten the differentiation of normal and late-stage cancerous mammary tissues in mice. The classification accuracy rates achieved by these models were 94.47% for RF, 96.76% for SVM, and 97.58% for CNN, respectively. To our …

Whole Genome Sequence Of The Denitrifying Thermophile Geobacillus Thermodenitrificans Subsp. Calidus Dsm 22629t, Mary Snook, Stephan Ritter, Rüdiger Pukall, Markus Göker, Rekha Seshadri, Nathaniel K. Jue

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a full genome sequence for the thermophilic denitrifier Geobacillus thermodenitrificans subsp. calidus DSM 22629T (3,408,575 bp, 48.94% GC). This genome includes 3,615 predicted genes, including those needed to reduce nitrate to nitrogen gas. This organism and genome sequence provide valuable resources for future phylogenetic, genomic, and biotechnological research.

Composites Developed By The Reaction Of Elemental Sulfur With Biologically Derived Fats And Oils, Katelyn Tisdale

All Dissertations

Human civilization’s modern infrastructure relies mainly on cement and petrochemical products. However, the production of these building materials have harmful ecological effects such as green gas emissions, therefore intensifying the need to develop alternative, sustainable structural materials from renewably sourced or waste material precursors. The work presented herein investigates various biomass derived resources that serve as the olefin source for reaction with elemental sulfur, another abundant waste source, via inverse vulcanization to form high strength composites competitive with that of traditional building materials.

Chapter one reviews various techniques that have been developed and executed in an effort towards lignin valorization …

Evaluating The Duckweeds Lemna Minor And Spirodela Polyrhiza As Alternative Aquatic Hosts For The Spread Of The Bacterial Wilt Pathogen, Ralstonia Solanacearum, Irelynn Smith

Honors Theses

Ralstonia solanacearum is a plant pathogen that causes bacterial wilt disease in major crops such as tomatoes and potatoes. Recently, this bacterium was discovered in floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) and Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pennysylvanicum), two previously unsuspected aquatic plants. Duckweed is an aquatic plant with a high level of resilience and short doubling time. Common duckweed (Lemna minor) has previously demonstrated its capability as a versatile high-yield infection model for other types of pathogenic bacteria. Given this newfound branch of aquatic hosts and the fact that duckweed is a common pond weed previously identified in several ponds located nearby infected …

Influence Of Glycopolymer Structure On Amphiphilic, Hybrid, Linear Branched Block Copolymer Properties For Use In Biomedical Applications, Kevin Green

Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is evaluating and adding fundamental knowledge regarding the structure-property relations of glycopolymers used in the design of hybrid block copolymers (HBC) that are cable of self-assembling into delivery vehicles for biomedical applications. A shift to the utilization of natural materials in the design and fabrication of drug-delivery vehicles has garnered significant attention. Understanding the effects of linear glycopolymers content and composition on the resulting HBCs properties can provide valuable insight into how these materials may be tailored for use in targeted biological applications.

The first chapter introduces current literature on the need for improvement in …