Digital Commons Network^™

Reliability Of The International Spinal Cord Injury Physical Therapy-Occupational Therapy Basic Data Set, Edelle C. Field-Fote, Kim D. Anderson, Maclain Capron, Ruediger Rupp, Linda Jones, M. Schmidt-Read, Vanessa K. Noonan, Anne Bryden, Sara Mulroy, Walter Weiss, Mario Widmer, Henrik Hagen Poder, Vivien Jørgensen, Eimear Smith, Mariel Purcell, Fin Biering-Sørensen

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty Papers

In interventional clinical trials for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), the influence of experimental biological, pharmacological, or device-related interventions must be differentiated from that of physical and occupational therapy interventions, as rehabilitation influences motor-related outcomes. The International Spinal Cord Injury (ISCI) Physical Therapy–Occupational Therapy Basic Data Set (PT-OT BDS) was developed with the intent to track the content and time of rehabilitation interventions that are delivered concurrently with experimental interventions. We assessed the reliability of the PT-OT BDS based on agreement between users. Following an online training session, physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) from 10 SCI clinical …

Using Dft On Ultrasound Measurements To Determine Patient-Specific Blood Flow Boundary Conditions For Computational Hemodynamics Of Intracranial Aneurysms, Hang Yi, Zifeng Yang, Luke Bramlage, Bryan Ludwig

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Boundary conditions (BCs) is one pivotal factor influencing the accuracy of hemodynamic predictions on intracranial aneurysms (IAs) using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Unfortunately, a standard procedure to secure accurate BCs for hemodynamic modeling does not exist. To bridge such a knowledge gap, two representative patient-specific IA models (Case-I and Case-II) were reconstructed and their blood flow velocity waveforms in the internal carotid artery (ICA) were measured by ultrasonic techniques and modeled by discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Then, numerical investigations were conducted to explore the appropriate number of samples (N) for DFT modeling to secure the accurate BC by comparing …

Coastal Collective: A Cannery Row Concept Plan, Margo Ezcurra

City and Regional Planning

This concept plan proposes preliminary design and implementation measures to redevelop an area which holds potential to serve as an activated southern entrance to Cannery Row. This project provides an analysis of the existing conditions and subsequently offers a strategy to transform this site into the Coastal Collective, a community-oriented mixed-use development that showcases the area’s history, natural environment, and local residents and businesses. This strategy consists of preliminary design ideas supported by implementation goals, policies, and programs that establish a framework for future redevelopment of this significant, historic waterfront area.

Whamm Functions In Kidney Reabsorption And Polymerizes Actin To Promote Autophagosomal Membrane Closure And Cargo Sequestration., Alyssa M Coulter, Valerie Cortés, Corey J Theodore, Rachel E Cianciolo, Ron Korstanje, Kenneth G Campellone

Faculty Research 2024

The actin cytoskeleton is essential for many functions of eukaryotic cells, but the factors that nucleate actin assembly are not well understood at the organismal level or in the context of disease. To explore the function of the actin nucleation factor WHAMM in mice, we examined how Whamm inactivation impacts kidney physiology and cellular proteostasis. We show that male WHAMM knockout mice excrete elevated levels of albumin, glucose, phosphate, and amino acids, and display structural abnormalities of the kidney proximal tu- bule, suggesting that WHAMM activity is important for nutrient reabsorption. In kidney tis- sue, the loss of WHAMM results …

Valorization Of Eichhornia Crassipes For The Production Of Cellulose Nanocrystals Further Investigation Of Plethoric Biobased Resource, Mohamed Morsy

Nanotechnology Research Centre

No abstract provided.

How Political Parties Can Appeal To Voters, Brenden David Jacoby

Communication Studies

Young voters are not voting. According to the United States Census Bureau, young voters, aged 18-29, have not turned out to vote in Presidential Elections at a rate higher than 50% since 1968. Millions of ballots – with the potential to swing elections, policies, and political momentum – are left blank. It is in the interest of both parties to identify why young voters are not going to the polls. In order to understand what makes political messaging persuasive to younger voters, this study presented participants with actual campaign speeches made by Democrats and Republican candidates for office. The author …

Nou Spring Field Days And Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Birding Bowl Kickoff Weekend, Lincoln, Mary 3–5, 2024, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Annual Meeting and Spring Field Days were held in Lincoln on May 3-5, 2024, with 80 in attendance. This year is the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, and this meeting also served as the kickoff of the Nebraska Birding Bowl.

Field trips were led by Olivia DaRugna, Thane Dinsdale, Joe Gubanyi, Thomas Labedz, Jason St. Sauver, T. J. Walker, and Michael Willison. Destinations included Wilderness Park, Bluestem Lake SRA, Killdeer WMA, Cottontail WMA, Pawnee Lake SRA, Branched Oak Lake, Butler County Prairie-Chicken lek, Marsh Wren Saline Wetland, Spring Creek Prairie, and Conestoga Lake …

The Early Years Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union: People And Publications, Daniel W. Leger

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska once boasted that it had the greatest avian biodiversity of any state. Today, such a claim seems preposterous, but when it was made, back in 1899, it was serious. The antecedents of that claim underlie the objective of this article, namely to describe the early history of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union (NOU), its founding members, and its publications, one of which, the Nebraska Bird Review, you are reading today.

. . .

To say that many changes have occurred in ornithology and birding since the NOU started in 1899 would be a severe understatement. Most of these changes have …

The Nebraska Bird Review (June 2024) 92(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March–May 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

The Early Years of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union: People and Publications, by Daniel W. Leger

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Birding Bowl Kickoff Weekend, Lincoln, May 3–5, 2024, by Janis Paseka

Subscription and Organization Information

Spring Field Report, March–May 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

A major concern this spring was the widely lamented shortfall in numbers of migrant warblers and the shortened duration of the migration, with most sightings relatively early. Numbers of migrant warblers east of the 100th meridian were investigated by Joel Jorgensen and Stephen Brenner and the scarcity was indeed found to be supported by eBird data; see the “News and Updates” section in Birds of Nebraska-Online (BONO). At Oliver Reservoir in the Panhandle, however, Steven Mlodinow found that migration was at least normal for a range of common migrants, with some migrants above the levels of the last four years. …

Effects Of Differing Radiation Methods On Charge Transport In Polymers, Zachary J. Gibson, Jr Dennison, Virginie Griseri

Conference Proceedings

Spacecraft charging issues are understood and mitigated through an understanding of material properties. Material properties are dynamic in the harsh environment of space. Approximations must be made to simulate the space environment in the laboratory. This paper reports on the investigation of the approximation that energy deposition causes the same aging effects in the materials regardless of the radiation source. Samples of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyether-etherketone (PEEK) were irradiated with x-rays, γ-rays, or electrons at total ionizing dose (TID) of either 2 x 10⁴, 2 x 10⁵, or 2 x 10⁶ rad. Charge was then …

Assessment Of Brain-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Enrichment For Blood Biomarker Analysis In Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases: An International Overview, Amanpreet Badhwar, Yael Hirschberg, Natalia Valle-Tamayo, Florencia Iulita, Chinedu Momoh, Anna Matton, Rawan Tarawneh, Robert Rissman, Aurélie Ledreux, Charisse Winston

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION Brain-derived extracellular vesicles (BEVs) in blood allows for minimally-invasive investigations of central nervous system (CNS) -specific markers of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Polymer-based EV- and immunoprecipitation (IP)-based BEV-enrichment protocols from blood have gained popularity. We systematically investigated protocol consistency across studies, and determined CNS-specificity of proteins associated with these protocols.

METHODS NDD articles investigating BEVs in blood using polymer-based and/or IP-based BEV enrichment protocols were systematically identified, and protocols compared. Proteins used for BEV-enrichment and/or post-enrichment were assessed for CNS- and brain-cell-type-specificity, extracellular domains (ECD+), and presence in EV-databases.

RESULTS A total of 82.1% of studies used polymer-based (ExoQuick) …

Cognitive Reserve, Cortisol, And Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers: A Memory Clinic Study, Manasa Yerramalla, Alexander Darin-Mattsson, Chinedu Momoh, Jasper Holleman, Ingemar Kåreholt, Malin Aspö, Göran Hagman, Miia Kivipelto, Alina Solomon, Anna Marseglia

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION Cognitive reserve might mitigate the risk of Alzheimer's dementia among memory clinic patients. No study has examined the potential modifying role of stress on this relation.

METHODS We examined cross-sectional associations of the cognitive reserve index (CRI; education, occupational complexity, physical and leisure activities, and social health) with cognitive performance and AD-related biomarkers among 113 memory clinic patients. The longitudinal association between CRI and cognition over a 3-year follow-up was assessed. We examined whether associations were influenced by perceived stress and five measures of diurnal salivary cortisol.

RESULTS Higher CRI scores were associated with better cognition. Adjusting for cortisol …

Unfurling Blue Carpet Memories, Sara Ahli

Masters Theses

Glass is an amorphous solid, existing in a liminal space, embodying indeterminacy. Its states of transformation from viscous flow to structural solidity carry the imprints of bodily influence. With the direct intention of using glass as a conduit to explore materiality, memory, and self-awareness, I construct a language of embodiment that arises through a series of performative encounters between my physicality and glass in the hot shop.

The mediating process I employ to create and arrive at the glass artwork I make is as necessary as its final form. Motivated by the desire to claim agency over my personal narrative, …

Discovering The Lightness Of Being, Yuemeng Dai

Masters Theses

As an adjunct to industrial advancement and urban sprawl, subways play a critical role in the daily logistics of transporting countless passengers. While they offer an efficient mode of commuting, they also introduce new potential issues that can suppress passengers' subjective behaviors. In Beijing, the subway lines, extending 519 miles and buried 70 feet underground, encircle the city, resulting in daily commutes of 1-2 hours. The extremely high passenger flow during peak times leads to rapid movement speeds within stations, and the complex subway architecture causes long walking distances and multiple transfers between spaces. Passengers, swept along by the flow …

Emotional Factory, Yukun Cui

Masters Theses

该项目设想将上海一个历史悠久的仓库改造成一个创新的、以情感为主题的联合办公空间，超越传统的办公环境。在工作环境质量深刻影响生产力和幸福感的时代，该项目旨在创造一个协调身体、心理和情绪健康的空间。该设计融合了促进健康的元素，例如健身设施、美食和丰富的绿色植物，确保居住者在整个工作日中保持动力和灵感。该项目涉及个人与其环境之间的动态互动。认识到传统的办公室布局往往会限制移动和空间感知，我们的设计引入了一个固有的动态工作空间。灵活的布局，可调节的家具和可移动的隔板使空间能够适应各种活动和需求。互动元素和视觉刺激全天变化，鼓励探索和互动，而不需要持续的身体运动。使用不同的纹理、颜色和照明方案创造了一种多感官体验，使空间充满活力和不断变化的感觉。通过结合这些元素，该项目旨在重新定义现代工作空间，创造一个不仅能提高生产力，而且能丰富人类工作体验的环境。这种创新方法旨在为全球联合办公空间设定新标准，培养社区意识、创造力和幸福感。最终，该项目旨在创造一个开创性的环境，增强人类的工作体验，展示工作空间设计在广泛影响和改善情绪和心理健康方面的潜力。

Making Room, Rachel Strompf

Masters Theses

Massachusetts is the only state in the United States with a right-to-shelter law which guarantees shelter for families with children and pregnant women.¹ As of February 2024, 3,500 homeless families with children are being sheltered in a motel or hotel with an average length of stay of 14 months, because traditional family shelters have reached capacity.^2,3 While these families are provided temporary shelter, these shelters do not allow for the development of a true sense of “home.” While a motel meets the needs of rudimentary shelter, motels were never designed as long-term accommodations and certainly not with a …

Architectural Elements Contributing To Interpretability Of Deep Neural Networks (Dnns), Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The interpretability of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) has become a critical focus in artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly as DNNs are increasingly used in high-stakes applications like healthcare, finance, and autonomous driving. Interpretability refers to the extent to which humans can understand the reasons behind a model's decisions, which is essential for trust, accountability, and transparency. However, the complexity and depth of DNN architectures often compromise interpretability as these models function as "black boxes." This article reviews key architectural elements of DNNs that affect their interpretability, aiming to guide the design of more transparent and trustworthy models. The primary …

A Pan-Cancer Patient-Derived Xenograft Histology Image Repository With Genomic And Pathologic Annotations Enables Deep Learning Analysis, Brian S White, Xing Yi Woo, Soner Koc, Todd B Sheridan, Steven Neuhauser, Shidan Wang, Yvonne A. Evrard, Li Chen, Ali Foroughi Pour, John D. Landua, R Jay Mashl, Sherri R. Davis, Bingliang Fang, Maria Gabriela Rosa, Kurt W. Evans, Matthew H. Bailey, Yeqing Chen, Min Xiao, Jill C Rubinstein, Brian J Sanderson, Michael W Lloyd, Sergii Domanskyi, Lacey E. Dobrolecki, Maihi Fujita, Junya Fujimoto, Guanghua Xiao, Ryan C. Fields, Jacqueline L. Mudd, Xiaowei Xu, Melinda G. Hollingshead, Shahanawaz Jiwani, Saul Acevedo, Pdxnet Consortium, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Peter N Robinson, Jeffrey A. Moscow, James H. Doroshow, Nicholas Mitsiades, Salma Kaochar, Chong-Xian Pan, Luis G. Caravajal-Carmona, Alana L. Welm, Bryan E. Welm, Ramaswamy Govindan, Shunqiang Li, Michael A. Davies, Jack A. Roth, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Yang Xie, Meenhard Herlyn, Li Ding, Michael T. Lewis, Carol J Bult, Dennis A. Dean Ii, Jeffrey Chuang

Faculty Research 2024

Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) model human intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity in the context of the intact tissue of immunocompromised mice. Histologic imaging via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is routinely performed on PDX samples, which could be harnessed for computational analysis. Prior studies of large clinical H&E image repositories have shown that deep learning analysis can identify intercellular and morphologic signals correlated with disease phenotype and therapeutic response. In this study, we developed an extensive, pan-cancer repository of >1,000 PDX and paired parental tumor H&E images. These images, curated from the PDX Development and Trial Centers Research Network Consortium, had a …

Metabolomics Profiling Reveals Distinct, Sex-Specific Signatures In Serum And Brain Metabolomes In Mouse Models Of Alzheimer's Disease., Ravi S Pandey, Mattias Arnold, Richa Batra, Jan Krumsiek, Kevin P Kotredes, Dylan Garceau, Harriet M. Jackson, Michael Sasner, Gareth R Howell, Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, Gregory W. Carter

Faculty Research 2024

INTRODUCTION: Increasing evidence suggests that metabolic impairments contribute to early Alzheimer's disease (AD) mechanisms and subsequent dementia. Signals in metabolic pathways conserved across species can facilitate translation.

METHODS: We investigated differences in serum and brain metabolites between the early-onset 5XFAD and late-onset LOAD1 (APOE4.Trem2*R47H) mouse models of AD to C57BL/6J controls at 6 months of age.

RESULTS: We identified sex differences for several classes of metabolites, such as glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and amino acids. Metabolic signatures were notably different between brain and serum in both mouse models. The 5XFAD mice exhibited stronger differences in brain metabolites, whereas LOAD1 mice showed more …

Characterizing Molecular And Synaptic Signatures In Mouse Models Of Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Independent Of Amyloid And Tau Pathology., Kevin P Kotredes, Ravi S Pandey, Scott Persohn, Kierra Elderidge, Charles P Burton, Ethan W Miner, Kathryn A Haynes, Diogo Francisco S Santos, Sean-Paul Williams, Nicholas Heaton, Cynthia M Ingraham, Christopher Lloyd, Dylan Garceau, Rita O'Rourke, Sarah Herrick, Claudia Rangel-Barajas, Surendra Maharjan, Nian Wang, Michael Sasner, Bruce T Lamb, Paul R Territo, Stacey J Sukoff Rizzo, Gregory W. Carter, Gareth R Howell, Adrian L Oblak

Faculty Research 2024

INTRODUCTION: MODEL-AD (Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease) is creating and distributing novel mouse models with humanized, clinically relevant genetic risk factors to capture the trajectory and progression of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) more accurately.

METHODS: We created the LOAD2 model by combining apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), Trem2*R47H, and humanized amyloid-beta (Aβ). Mice were subjected to a control diet or a high-fat/high-sugar diet (LOAD2+HFD). We assessed disease-relevant outcome measures in plasma and brain including neuroinflammation, Aβ, neurodegeneration, neuroimaging, and multi-omics.

RESULTS: By 18 months, LOAD2+HFD mice exhibited sex-specific neuron loss, elevated insoluble brain Aβ42, increased plasma neurofilament light …

Systems Genetics Uncover New Loci Containing Functional Gene Candidates In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis-Infected Diversity Outbred Mice., Daniel Mario Gatti, Anna L. Tyler, J Matthew Mahoney, Gary Churchill, Bulent Yener, Deniz Koyuncu, Metin N Gurcan, Mk Khalid Niazi, Thomas Tavolara, Adam Gower, Denise Dayao, Emily Mcglone, Melanie L Ginese, Aubrey Specht, Anas Alsharaydeh, Philipe A Tessier, Sherry L Kurtz, Karen L Elkins, Igor Kramnik, Gillian Beamer

Faculty Research 2024

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects two billion people across the globe, and results in 8-9 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases and 1-1.5 million deaths each year. Most patients have no known genetic basis that predisposes them to disease. Here, we investigate the complex genetic basis of pulmonary TB by modelling human genetic diversity with the Diversity Outbred mouse population. When infected with M. tuberculosis, one-third develop early onset, rapidly progressive, necrotizing granulomas and succumb within 60 days. The remaining develop non-necrotizing granulomas and survive longer than 60 days. Genetic mapping using immune and inflammatory mediators; and clinical, microbiological, and granuloma correlates of …

Microglia Depletion Leads To Increased Susceptibility To Ocular Hypertension-Dependent Glaucoma, Cory A Diemler, Michael Maclean, Sarah E Heuer, Amanda A Hewes, Olivia J Marola, Richard T. Libby, Gareth R Howell

Faculty Research 2024

In recent years, microglia have been highlighted for playing integral roles in neurodegenerative diseases, like glaucoma. To better understand the role of microglia during chronic ocular hypertension, we depleted microglia from aged (9–12 months old) DBA/2 J (D2) mice, which exhibit age-related increases in intraocular pressure, using a dietary CSF1R antagonist, PLX5622. Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) somas were counted, and optic nerve cross-sections stained and assessed for glaucomatous damage. Sustained administration of dietary PLX5622 significantly reduced the numbers of retinal microglia. Dietary PLX5622 did not lead to changes in intraocular pressure in D2 or normotensive DBA/2 J-Gpnmb⁺ (D2- …

From First Gen To Faculty: A Narrative Study Of First-Generation College Students Who Became Community College Faculty, Patrick Nevins

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of first-generation community college faculty through narrative inquiry. Qualitative data were collected through semi-standard interviews with full-time community college faculty who were first-generation college students. In the first level of analysis, narrative accounts were created from the data, and in the second level of analysis, narrative accounts were compared for the identification of codes. Three themes emerged from data analysis: (a) being college bound from school age, (b) facing barriers to academic success as undergraduates, and (c) relating to students as faculty. The implications of the study are that first-generation …

Manage Crop Weeds At Harvest, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

This management strategy provides an opportunity to control weed seed set in the pasture and during harvest. The strategy physically removes viable seed from the paddock by collecting weed seed and grazing crop residues.

Weed seed removal at harvest can be achieved in 2 ways:

1. collecting weed seeds from the system to prevent them being spread across the paddock or farm

2. grazing weed contaminated crop residue and pastures.

Herbicide Application, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Herbicides can be applied by a variety of means, including boom sprayers, aerial spraying, misters, blanket wipers, rope wick applicators, weed seekers and back-pack sprayers. This fact sheet reviews the different methods, including nozzles and calibration of equipment, used to apply herbicides.

Capture Rates Of Eptesicus Fuscus Increase Following White-Nose Syndrome Across The Eastern Us, Molly C. Simonis, Lynn K. Hartzler, Gregory G. Turner, Michael R. Scafini, Joseph S. Johnson, Megan A. Rúa

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Emerging infectious diseases threaten wildlife globally. While the effects of infectious diseases on hosts with severe infections and high mortality rates often receive considerable attention, effects on hosts that persist despite infection are less frequently studied. To understand how persisting host populations change in the face of disease, we quantified changes to the capture rates of Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bats), a persisting species susceptible to infection by the invasive fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd; causative agent for white-nose syndrome), across the eastern US using a 30-year dataset. Capture rates of male and female E. fuscus increased from preinvasion to …

Pismo Beach Public Market Development Proposal, William Graham Wallace

City and Regional Planning

This proposal presents a comprehensive analysis of a conceptual development project located in Pismo Beach, CA. The project aims to prepare a professional-grade document to simulate real-world development processes, enhancing knowledge and experience. The proposed mixed-use development includes retail, restaurant, residential, parking, and open seating spaces. From my knowledge I've gained from my education within the City and Regional Planning department, mixed-use is the future of development so I chose to do this to further my understanding of mixed-use development.

Evaluating Methods For Assessing Interpretability Of Deep Neural Networks (Dnns), Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The interpretability of deep neural networks (DNNs) is a critical focus in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), particularly as these models are increasingly deployed in high-stakes applications such as healthcare, finance, and autonomous systems. In the context of these technologies, interpretability refers to the extent to which a human can understand the cause of a decision made by a model. This article evaluates various methods for assessing the interpretability of DNNs, recognizing the significant challenges posed by their complex and opaque nature. The review encompasses both quantitative metrics and qualitative evaluations, aiming to identify effective strategies that enhance …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.