Digital Commons Network^™

Testing Functional Homology Of The Lga2 And Rga2 Genes Of Sporisorium Reilianum In Ustilago Maydis, Joshua Thomas

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Ustilago maydis, a basidiomycete fungus, infects corn and displays dimorphism, transitioning between nonpathogenic and pathogenic stages. Its life cycle involves mating of haploids with different alleles, resulting in the formation of galls/tumors filled with teliospores. The a1 and a2 alleles regulate pheromone recognition and mating. The lga2 and rga2 genes in the a2 allele are crucial for uniparental mitochondrial inheritance. Sporisorium reilianum, a related fungus, has homologs of lga2 and rga2 with U. maydis. To test the functional homology of the S. reilianum genes, protoplasts of U. maydis strains deleted for lga2 or lga2 and rga2 were transformed …

Sdf-1Α Mediates Primary Tumor Escape In Glioblastoma Through Activation Of Mesenchymal Transitions., Charles T. Froman-Glover

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly aggressive primary brain tumor originating in glial cells, poses a significant challenge due to its rapid growth and invasive nature within healthy brain tissue.

Current treatments involve surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation. These treatments alone are not enough to cure this disease, and a better understanding the mechanics of the tumor micro-environment is imperative to furthering the field of cancer research. This research focuses on understanding the tumor microenvironment's impact, specifically investigating the role of stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) mechanics on GBM aggressiveness. SDF-1 is known to facilitate disease progression by facilitating chemotaxis toward the …

Advancement Of Iterative Optimization Technology Algorithms Toward Calibration-Free Process Analytical Technology Applications, Adam Rish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The expansion of spectroscopic process analytical technology (PAT) tools within the pharmaceutical industry has the potential to elevate the current state-of-the-art of pharmaceutical manufacturing by offering opportunities for reduced quality testing times, enhanced process control, and greater production flexibility. Spectroscopic PAT tools are dependent on multivariate models to extract the relevant information from the spectral outputs. However, there is a substantial calibration burden for developing and maintaining these multivariate models that discourages the application of PAT, despite the encouragement from regulators. This has led to an interest in calibration-free methods such as iterative optimization technology (IOT) for spectroscopic PAT that …

How Ignoring The Fundamental Causes Of Maternal Morbidity/Mortality Impedes Progress Toward A Reproductive Justice Model Of Contraceptive Counseling, Andrea Bertotti, Skye A. Miner

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Research

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently published guidance promoting a reproductive justice model of contraceptive counseling that prioritizes patient preferences rather than centering effectiveness (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Citation2022c). However, practitioners may be hesitant to follow these new guidelines if they do not understand how maternal morbidity and mortality are rooted in fundamental causes like racism. If practitioners believe that pregnancy is innately dangerous, they may prioritize effectiveness in the name of patient safety. Taking a reproductive justice perspective, we assess how contraceptive counseling guidance portrays maternal morbidity/mortality by qualitatively examining 25 authoritative gynecology publications. …

Investigating The Experiences Of Evangelical Couples Coping With Painful Intercourse During Early Marriage, Arielle L. Leonard Hodges

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

Women who internalize evangelical purity messages face heightened risk for persistent pain or difficulty with penile-vaginal intercourse. Drawing on research in communication, psychology, and sexual medicine, the aim of this multilevel qualitative study is to increase understanding of how evangelical couples communicatively cope with painful intercourse and the memorable messages they believe contribute to their experiences of coping. This study involved conducting qualitative interviews with 20 evangelical married couples (40 total spouses) who currently or recently experienced a wife’s persistent pain during (attempted) penile-vaginal intercourse and 16 female clinicians (pelvic floor physical therapists and mental health professionals) who regularly work …

Becoming And Thriving As An Efl Instructor: Exploring Key Factors Contributing To Positive Identity Construction, Weiyi Xia

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This mixed methods study delved into the identity construction of English as a foreign language (EFL) instructors in private universities in China through a sequential two-stage exploration. The first stage adopted a 34-item EFL teacher identity questionnaire. Ninety valid responses were collected and subjected to correlation analysis using SPSS. Due to nonnormality in the data, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman’s rho tests were employed to derive referential outcomes. Data analysis revealed teaching experience and overseas experience were not influencing factors, whereas professional title was important in identity construction. Quantitative data provided references to participants’ recruitment and question design in the second stage …

Rising From The Abyss: A Grounded Theory Exploration On How Afghani And Ukrainian Mothers Navigate Major Milestones Following The Onset Of Political Conflict, Rabab Atwi

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The political conflicts that have erupted around the world have disrupted the lives of millions of people. This constructivist grounded theory study delved into the experiences of ten mothers from Afghanistan and Ukraine who had to overcome three major milestones: conflict in their homelands, liminal places, and resettlement in the United States. Although the wellestablished literature has highlighted the challenges refugee women encounter following the onset of political conflict, limited literature exists on the experiences of refugee mothers and the resources of support available to help them navigate conflict-related challenges. The findings of this study highlighted mothering, community, and governmental …

Stopping The Bleed At Uri, Emily Lefebre

Senior Honors Projects

The number one cause of preventable death is uncontrolled bleeding from traumatic injury. From the unlikely scenario of a school shooting, to a campus car accident or an injury during a sports or club event, possessing skills to effectively stop a life-threatening bleed becomes a matter of life or death. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) STOP THE BLEED® program is a campaign to teach communities how to respond effectively and efficiently to life-threatening bleeding in emergencies. STOP THE BLEED® aims to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to stop severe bleeding by tourniquet application, …

Cctfv2: Modeling Cyber Competitions, Basheer Qolomany, Tristan J. Calay, Liaquat Hossain, Aos Mulahuwaish, Jacques Bou Abdo

School of Computing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cyber competitions are usually team activities, where team performance not only depends on the members’ abilities but also on team collaboration. This seems intuitive, especially given that team formation is a well-studied discipline in competitive sports and project management, but unfortunately, team performance and team formation strategies are rarely studied in the context of cybersecurity and cyber competitions. Since cyber competitions are becoming more prevalent and organized, this gap becomes an opportunity to formalize the study of team performance in the context of cyber competitions. This work follows a cross-validating two-approach methodology. The first is the computational modeling of cyber …

Investigating The Antibacterial Properties Of Capsaicin In Synergy With Antibiotics Against A. Baumannii, Jack Guffey

Undergraduate Theses

As the ever-increasing issue of antibiotic resistance looms, naturally derived compounds have been increasingly investigated as possible synergists with antibiotics. One of these compounds, capsaicin, is a potent vanilloid that is the dominant cause of Capsicum peppers’ spiciness. Capsaicin’s intrinsic ability to inhibit a wide array of bacterial growth has been well documented. The focal organism of this study, Acinetobacter baumannii, has become an increasingly common hospital acquired infection due to its persistence on fomites. Capsaicin, however, is able to inhibit this growth at higher concentrations as well as reduce the necessary minimum inhibitory concentration while decreasing biofilm formation …

Intra And Interspecific Competition Via Allelopathy Among Native And Non-Native Plants, Mimi Byrne, Robert Warren

Biology Theses

Invasive non- native species success often is attributed to their competitive superiority, potentially through allelochemical inhibition (allelopathy) of native species, as suggested by the novel weapons hypothesis. However, it is also possible that non- native species are able to be successful through decreased intraspecific competition. Decreased intraspecific competition could be attributed to a lack of genetic variation creating less variable allelopathic effects. I predict that if non- native species follow the novel weapons hypothesis, their allelochemicals will restrict more biomass and give them a competitive edge compared to native species. Additionally, I predict that if non- native species have lower …

Examining The Effects Of Menstrual Cycle Phase And Hormonal Contraceptive Use On Women's Sleep, Charles Ethan Coombs

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women overrepresent men for sub-optimal sleep, a consequence of hormone fluctuation in the menstrual cycle affecting sleep regulatory pathways. While research has examined the prevalence of sub-optimal sleep through cycle phases, little research has examined how hormonal contraceptives (HC’s) could similarly affect women’s sleep, while also neglecting to utilize subjective sleep measures. In this study, we examine subjective sleep quality among naturally cycling (NC) women, women using different HC types, and between active and inactive phase pill users by subjecting 463 women to a subjective sleep battery. We hypothesized that HC users would report more sub-optimal sleep than NC women. …

Believe In Yourself And Keep The Doctor Away: Health Self-Efficacy Mediates The Relationship Between Retrospectively Reported Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And College Students’ Current Self-Reported Physical Health, Amber Sale

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring during the first 18 years of life (CDC, 2022) and are strong predictors of later negative outcomes such as poor physical health, risky health behaviors, and poor lifestyle habits (Felitti et al., 1998; Lovis-Schmidt et al., 2022; Windle et al., 2018). Previous literature has suggested that self-efficacy may explain the negative impact ACEs have on later physical health (Sachs-Ericsson et al., 2011). Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between college students’ retrospectively reported ACEs and current self-reported physical health, in the context of health self-efficacy levels (i.e., self-perceptions of one’s …

Functional Biases Toward Formidable Men In Legal Domains, Bridget O'Neil, Mitch Brown

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The recurring threat of physical aggression throughout human evolutionary history presented a selection pressure that favored perceptual acuity threatening people. One heuristic of threat is men's formidability, often indexed by upper body strength. Although functional, such responses could be mismatched with demands of the U.S. legal system. The demands of a fair legal system could be at odds with ancestrally informed motives that serve to mitigate harm, a bias that has previously been demonstrated to increase sentencing length based on features deemed aggressive. This study extends previous findings by focusing on men's upper body strength while assessing how specific motivations …

On-Farm Nitrogen And Irrigation Management Strategies To Protect Groundwater Quality In The Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Arshdeep Singh

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Increasing groundwater nitrate (NO₃-N) contamination has raised significant environmental and health concerns in the irrigated sandy soils of Nebraska. Four studies were conducted to evaluate the impact the impact of 1) static (NE Yield Goal) vs. dynamic nitrogen (N) recommendations tools (Maize-N, Canopy Reflectance Sensing, Granular, and Adapt-N), 2) three N (optimum, suboptimum, and low) and irrigation rates (farmer’s full irrigation (FIT), 80% FIT, and 60% FIT), 3) conventional N sources vs. enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs), and 4) multiple N splits (2, 3, 4, and 5-N splits) on agronomic (maize yield), environmental (NO3-N leaching), and economic returns (return …

Establishment Of Wildflower Islands To Enhance Roadside Health, Ecological Value, And Aesthetics, Jackson Ebbers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Roadsides provide an abundant opportunity to increase connectivity of fragmented landscapes with diminishing floral resources for pollinating insects. The ecological value of these sites is often overlooked as quality habitat for pollinators, particularly monarch butterflies, which have been experiencing severe declines due to loss of habitat and loss of milkweeds that provide food for their larvae. Land managers across the nation are realizing the potential of roadsides to provide high quality floral resources for the benefit of insects and other wildlife. Current wildflower seed mixes used by state transportation departments are often low diversity and may only be implemented following …

Using Annual Forages To Replace Declining Cool-Season Grass Pasture Availability, Jonathon Matthew Jenkins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As land area in grain crop production increases in the US Midwest, perennial pasture availability decreases but the demand increases. Matching the seasonal growth patterns of C₃ and C₄ plant species to grow forages that are complementary allows producers to fill production gaps in otherwise monoculture systems and possibly increase overall productivity. One way to fill the forage production gap of C₃ grass dominated pastures is by producing a warm-season, annual forage in a separate field. However, with continual reductions in land availability, this may not be an option. Using two studies, our objectives were to improve …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Population Dynamics Of A Captive Colony Of Diploptera Punctata., Nick Peterson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The unique milk production of Diploptera punctata makes this species a promising model species in entomology for studying the evolution of milk production and for insect endocrinology. Despite this, the genetic diversity of captive populations of the species is not well studied. To better evaluate the captive diversity and population dynamics of Diploptera punctata at UNO we extracted the DNA of 20 random individuals and amplified their DNA using 4 different primers before cleaning the amplified products and sequencing the genes of the samples for use in both individual and concatenated phylogenetic trees. Our results indicate the UNO colony of …

The Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin Disrupts Feeding And Sleeping Behaviors In Drosophila Melanogaster., Lucas Fitzgerald

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Dimethylbiguanide, also known as metformin, is the single most prescribed oral treatment for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, or type 2 diabetes, in Western countries. The primary mechanism of action that metformin acts through is the activation of AMP kinase, an important regulator of energy homeostasis. While the anti-diabetic effects of metformin are well documented, its effects on feeding and sleeping behaviors are not well characterized. Using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, the mean daily quantity of food consumed was measured and compared between groups treated with several dosages of metformin. Feeding interactions such as meal frequency and length were …

"Not That Type Of Asian": Deconstructing The Model Minority Myth From A South Asian Perspective., Shraddha Patel

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The myth of the model minority is an essential aspect of the literature on Asian American racialization. However, dominant narratives of the concept largely focus on East Asians, with limited literature highlighting its unique impact on South Asians. In light of this, this qualitative study sought to illuminate where South Asian experiences align with, deviate from, or expand upon the themes observed in existing literature. Using interview data from 21 South Asian American participants from across the United States, we explored 1) identity and sense of belonging, 2) mental health as it pertains to expectations associated with the model minority …

A Revised Synthesis Of The Cationic Lipids Dmri And Mlri, Benjamin A. Kostic

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are an increasingly utilized method of intracellular delivery for nucleic acids. The COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have used LNP technology to combat the recent global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, saving millions of lives.^1,2 These vaccines consist of a lipid formulation that binds to the anionic phosphate groups of mRNAs and serves as an effective way to transport the nucleic acid across membranes into cells.⁹The mRNA encodes a viral protein. When introduced to cells, the viral protein is produced so that the immune system then can generate an appropriate antibody response.³ However, this approach …

Mathematics Majors In Medical School Admissions: A Comparative Evaluation Of Mcat And Gpa Performance, Morgan Baker

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Choosing a major as an incoming undergraduate student can be very stressful. This study investigates the differences in success that come with choice of undergraduate major, particularly focusing on the performance of mathematics majors. A large majority of medical school applicants come from a biological sciences background. Despite this preference, there is evidence that students from nontraditional majors produce higher Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and superior grade point averages (GPAs). Utilizing data visualization and analysis through R programming, this research examines public data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to understand the benefits of pursuing a …

Evaluating The Inclusion Of Probiotic Or Postbiotic In The Nursery Period On Pig Performance Through To Market, Gut Health And Microbial Populations, And Carcass Value, J. Castillo Zuniga, R.S. Samuel, C.L. Levesque

Animal Science Research Report 2024

No abstract provided.

Spatiotemporal Assessment Of Pathogenic Leptospira In Subtropical Coastal Watersheds, Ronell Bridgemohan, Matthew J. Deitch, Emily Harmon, Matt R. Whiles, P Christopher Wilson, Eban Bean, Puran Bridgemohan, Joseph H. Bisesi, Jodel Nicholas, Aaden Redhead, Dave S. Bachoon

Faculty and Staff Works

The World Health Organization classifies leptospirosis as a significant public health concern, predominantly affecting impoverished and unsanitary regions. By using the Pensacola Bay System as a case study, this study examines the underappreciated susceptibility of developed subtropical coastal ecosystems such as the Pensacola Bay System to neglected zoonotic pathogens such as Leptospira. We analyzed 132 water samples collected over 12 months from 44 distinct locations with high levels of Escherichia coli (>410 most probable number/100 mL). Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations were assessed using IDEXX Colilert-18 and Enterolert-18, and an analysis of water physiochemical characteristics and rainfall intensity was …

Dispersal And Population Structure Of Euchlanis Chihuahuaensis Via Anemochory In The Chihuahuan Desert, Tristan Chavez-Poeschel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Desert ecosystems present challenges for aquatic organisms as habitats are fragmented, both in space and time; however, diapausing stages of rotifers can travel hundreds of kilometers during wind events. I used the rotifer Euchlanis chihuahuaensis as a model species to investigate the influence of wind dispersal on gene flow and population genetics in Chihuahuan Desert populations. I hypothesized that anemochory facilitates gene flow from source populations in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico and the western United States to habitats in the Trans-Pecos region via delineated wind corridors. To test this hypothesis, the genetic diversity of populations from both inside …

Effect Of Patient Specific Blood Biomarkers On Nanoparticle - Cell Interactions, Veronica Gabriela Contreras

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanoparticles are currently known to be a promising material class for bio-applications in drug delivery and vaccine development. Using gold nanoparticles of varied sizes, in this case 45 and 100 nanometers as a model nanomaterial system, we investigated how patients' blood physiology and chemistry (such as solute, protein, lipid levels) affect the biological response to bionanomaterials. When nanoparticles are injected into the body, biomolecules in the blood adsorb to the nanoparticle's surface to form a biomolecular corona that is specific to the patient's unique blood composition. This biomolecular corona is important because it affects the in vivo fate and biodistribution …

Conserving One Of Hawai'i'S Last Endemic Ducks: Genetics And Habitat Associations Of Koloa, Feral Mallards, And Their Hybrids, Kristi Fukunaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Increases in anthropogenic hybridization through introduced species have accelerated the loss of genetic diversity and reductions in population size of native species that are already threatened by population and genetic diversity decline. Fertile hybrids that are common among waterfowl (order Anseriformes) are especially worrisome. A prime example is the endangered Hawaiian duck (Anas wyvilliana; “koloa maoli”), which is the remaining endemic duck species on the main Hawaiian Islands and is threatened by genetic extinction through ongoing hybridization with feral mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Of note, koloa populations are known to be strongly male-biased (3:1), and this sex bias is known to …

Earth Abundant Catalyst For Evironmental Sustainability Applications, Javier Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The development of experimental methodologies for synthesizing a diverse range of metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles tailored for sustainable water treatment applications was investigated. These nanoparticles are prepared using environmentally friendly and scalable synthesis methods, underscoring their potential for large-scale production. Synthesized nanoparticles are harnessed for various processes, including catalysis and electrocatalysis, with a primary objective of degrading and removing organic pollutants from water. Key to this research is the encapsulation of nanoparticles within solid supports. Multiple methodologies are explored to engineer supports that ensure nanoparticle stabilization, monodispersion, and prevent unintended release into the environment. Two alternative approaches were evaluated …

Mechanical Stability Of Body-Centered Cubic Iron In Born-Von Kármán Parameter Space Using Evolutionary Algorithms, Amir Husen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study aims to assess the mechanical stability of body-centered cubic (BCC) structure, focusing on pure iron as a representative case. The primary approach involves utilizing phonon dispersion curves analysis to gain insights into the vibrational properties and overall stability of the crystal lattice through a multi-faceted computational approach. The goal of the study is to find the regions (pockets) in Born-von Kármán (BvK) parameter space where the crystal is stable for certain temperature and pressure.

This involves setting up the crystal parameters, creating a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal with specific lattice parameters (2.86 for iron) establishing force constants, and …

Benefits Of Alternative Assessment For College Students’ Academic Success And Mental Well-Being, Calista Gabriel

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Assessments play an imperative role in evaluating a student’s knowledge within the classroom. Traditionally, educators have relied on traditional assessments to measure students’ comprehension of course material. However, in contemporary education, there has been a shift towards alternative assessments for a variety of reasons. This senior capstone research project examines students’ and professors’ perspectives and how alternative assessments could affect them. Through the use of literature review, surveys with professors and students, and interviews, the findings underscore the importance of integrating alternative assessments in educational practices, not only for enhancing students’ academic success, but also for nurturing their mental well-being.