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Investigating Pre-Health Students’ Science Identity And The Factors That Influence Them To Change Programs Or Tracks., Taylor Humphreys

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Retention is a particularly pressing issue for undergraduate students, specifically those in pre-health programs or tracks. This can be affected by a students’ science identity, which is referred to as viewing oneself as a “science person.” This study focused on investigating science identity and influencing factors that can cause program or track change of pre-health students. Previous studies have investigated these factors regarding pre-health students applying to medical school, but this study opened the investigation to a variety of pre-health students and focused on characterizing students’ experiences prior to their health professional school applications. The analysis of peer-led focus group …

The Determination Of Macrophage Localization In Muscle Injuries Using Spatial Transcriptomics, Julliana Renales

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The repair of traumatic muscle injury is often a long process which can in many cases be insufficient and incomplete. In such cases, scar tissue may form, leading to high risk of re-injury and the prevention of muscle regeneration. An important part of decreasing this risk is gaining a better understanding of the cellular complexities of injury repair. More specifically, macrophage cells are an important piece in the regulation of inflammation and repair. In this project, computational analysis spatial transcriptomic data was performed to examine mouse muscle injury and its development over time. This analysis was used to examine the …

Light-Induced Phase Separation Purification For Monoclonal Antibodies, Xuyang Chen

All Theses

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Exploring Teacher Agency And Student Engagement: A Case Study Of An Urban High School In The United States, Alexandra M. Kirby

Educational Studies Dissertations

Using a mixed-methods case study design, this study explored teacher agency, student engagement, and the relationship between these two complex constructs at a Northeastern urban high school, “City High School” (CHS). Teacher agency refers to the level of control or power teachers have in their classrooms and in a school system as well as to feelings of belonging, of being supported, and of competency. Fredricks et al. (2004) suggest student engagement is an intricate construct that includes behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. A social constructivist and critical theory lens informed the research. Three guiding research questions focused on teacher agency …

Clinical Assessment Of Erosive Tooth Wear Objective Outcome Measures, Elizabeth Wewers

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether enamel surface texture can be used as objective and quantitative measurements to detect and monitor erosive tooth wear (ETW) as an adjunct to the subjective Basic Erosive Wear Evaluation (BEWE) that is commonly used today. This longitudinal observational clinical study enrolled 32 subjects with a sample of n = 584 teeth. Conventional dental microwear surface texture parameters (surface complexity, roughness, and anisotropy - Asfc, Sa, Str, respectively) (were generated using white-light scanning confocal profilometry) from the buccal surfaces of each tooth accepted to the study. I personally scanned and analyzed n …

Investigation Of Early Stage Wound Healing In Volumetric Muscle Loss, Sean Ong

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) refers to the substantial removal of tissue from skeletal muscle due to surgery or lesions. This condition disrupts the normal regenerative process of injured muscles, leading to significant loss of muscle function. This study examines the progression of VML injury, approximately 20% of the muscle mass being removed, in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of a mouse model over a 15-day post-injury period. The injured muscles exhibited discoloration indicative of reduced blood flow and experienced a decrease in muscle mass throughout the study duration. Furthermore, the maximum force output of the injured TA was significantly lower, …

2023-2024 Common Data Set, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Common Data Sets

The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers.

Do Heat Waves Drive Natural Selection In Damselflies?, Adam Baranyk

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Climate change has led to changes in both mean temperatures and temperature extremes over the recent years. These changes have had differential effects on animals throughout the world. Ectotherms depend on their external environment for thermal regulation, making them especially susceptible to temperature extremes. It is not yet clear whether there is a relationship between physical traits in ectotherms, and survivorship throughout a heat wave. That is, whether or not temperature extremes driven survival selection. In this study, a heat wave was simulated artificially using thermally regulated mesocosms at different temperatures (18°C, 22° C, 26° C, 30° C) with a …

Analyzing Racial And Structural Disparities In U.S. Maternity Leave Policies, Edie A. Frantzen

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Maternity leave policy in the United States is a rising social issue for mothers. Contrary to all other developed nations, the United States does not mandate any form of paid maternity leave for new mothers, ensuring financial hardships for women and their families. Current studies have supported the lack of coverage that new mothers receive from their employers throughout the United States. To analyze this disparity, I use data from recipients of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) in 2022. Using different statistical tests, I evaluated the commonalities of diverse recipients receiving paid maternity leave by different variables: …

Clonal Plants' Traits And Responses Following Fire Disturbance In Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems In The Colorado Front Range, Raymond Erskine

Master's Theses

Mountain ecosystems are currently experiencing increasing impacts of disturbances (e.g., wildfire) due to global changes in climate and land use, leading to significant changes in vegetation composition and landscape dynamics. Clonal plants, characterized by their vegetative reproduction strategies, offer a range of ecologically important traits to cope with disturbances. However, clonality is often excluded in studies of post-fire vegetation dynamics in mountain ecosystems, and our knowledge of the ability of clonal plants to respond to differing disturbance regimes is limited. Therefore, I examined the response of understory vegetation following fire disturbance in burned and unburned ponderosa pine stands of the …

Selective Partitioned Regression For Accurate Kidney Health Monitoring, Alex Whelan, Ragwa Elsayed, Alessandro Bellofiore, David C. Anastasiu

Computer Science and Engineering

The number of people diagnosed with advanced stages of kidney disease have been rising every year. Early detection and constant monitoring are the only minimally invasive means to prevent severe kidney damage or kidney failure. We propose a cost-effective machine learning-based testing system that can facilitate inexpensive yet accurate kidney health checks. Our proposed framework, which was developed into an iPhone application, uses a camera-based bio-sensor and state-of-the-art classical machine learning and deep learning techniques for predicting the concentration of creatinine in the sample, based on colorimetric change in the test strip. The predicted creatinine concentration is then used to …

Lived Musical Experiences Of Autistic Adults, Anetta Fortner

Graduate Thesis Collection

This research set out to explore the relationship between autistic individuals and music. Current research on autism and music education focuses primarily on the accounts of teachers, parents, and other stakeholders, and does not center autistic voices. The following research questions guided this study: (1) What can we learn from autistic adults, specifically those still involved in music, about their lifelong experiences in music and music education? (2) What insight can we gain from these experiences to create more inclusive environments for autistic individuals? To answer these questions, autistic adults who self-identified as still involved in music completed a short …

The Impact Of Healthcare Interprofessional Education On Collaboration., Mya Winjum

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Interprofessional relationships are important to the productivity of healthcare teams, especially as collaborative approaches become increasingly common in the healthcare setting. This paper focuses on the impacts of interprofessionalism and interprofessional education on healthcare teams collaborations. Drawing from a mixed-methods approach, data was gathered through an online survey and interviews conducted at the UNMC GOODLIFE Clinic, a student-run clinic. Findings reveal differences in perceptions between post-graduate professionals and students regarding the role and importance of interprofessionalism. While professionals demonstrate an understanding of IP collaboration, students express a need for more comprehensive IPE. Barriers to effective teamwork, such as professional hierarchies …

The Beast With Many Heads: Situational And Dispositional Differences In Physiological, Subjective, And Behavioral Responses To Social Rejection, Ellyn C. Maese

Psychology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Threats to humans’ deep-rooted social needs are associated with strong physiological, emotional, and behavioral responses that are linked to systems for physical pain responses. Yet, prior research has also revealed inconsistencies in responses to social threats, which may be related to differences in situational or dispositional factors. In exploration of these potential explanations, the proposed research aims to investigate physiological, subjective, and behavioral responses to two distinct types of social threat experiences. This study will involve analyzing data collected from a sample of 127 students at a midwestern state university who participated in a laboratory experiment in which they faced …

Clinical Outcomes Of Hypofractionated Whole Breast Irradiation In Early Stage, Biologically High-Risk Breast Cancer, Eva Leung, Benjamin D. Willen, Thomas J. Quinn, Muayad F. Almahari, Peter Y. Chen, Maha Saada Jawad, Gregory S. Gustafson, Michelle Ka Yan Wu, Joshua T. Dilworth

Posters

• Whole breast irradiation (WBI) has been used in the treatment of breast cancer patients after partial mastectomy.
• There has been increasing utilization of hypofractionated whole breast irradiation (HWBI), defined as a larger daily dose and fewer fractions compared to conventionally fractionated whole breast irradiation (CWBI). However, HWBI for patients with early-stage, biologically high-risk breast cancer remains relatively low.
• We define biologically high-risk breast cancer as either triple negative (estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) negative), Her-2 amplified, and/or patients with a high-risk multigene assay.
• The 2018 ASTRO guidelines form the basis for treating breast cancer patients with …

Mate Guarding Against Strong Men Displaying Affiliative And Aggressive Humor, Jacob Pauley

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mate retention behaviors serve to discourage partner defection from a current pairbond. Such behaviors are oftentimes more prevalent toward intrasexual rivals exhibiting physical and behavioral cues implicating that rival as an optimal mate. Among these features in men are their upper body strength, a feature diagnostic of heritable fitness, and men's ability to produce humor, a cue to their social competence. This study considered the intersection of these desirable features in shaping men's mate retention behavior toward an intrasexual rival. After learning of a hypothetical interloper exhibiting high or low upper body strength while similarly using humor in an affiliative …

Effect Of Progesterone On Cognition Among College Aged Women, Katelyn Helberg

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women who have a reoccurring menstrual cycle and do not take hormonal birth control naturally experience changes in the amount of sex hormones that their body produces. These sex hormones help promote sexual development, fertility, and mood regulation, but can be hard to study due to their conflicting effects on each other. One such hormone, progesterone, is produced in different concentrations throughout the menstrual cycle to prepare the uterus for a potential pregnancy. However, it also may have secondhand effects on how well women can complete everyday tasks involving memory, attention, processing speed, and more which is what we measured …

A Meta-Analysis For Laboratory Diagnostics For Coccidioidomycosis, Mary C. Cowen

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Coccidioidomycosis, commonly referred to as Valley Fever, is a fungal infection found in arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Infection occurs through inhalation of airborne spores from Coccidioides species, Coccidioides immitis and/or Coccidioides posadasii, and proceeds in both pulmonary and disseminated fashions. Approximately 60% of patients with coccidioidomycosis remain asymptomatic, while 40% will experience symptoms. Within the literature, there are no papers that summarize sensitivity and specificity values between different tests; therefore, this paper presents sensitivity and specificity results across different tests and companies (Meridian, IMMY, and MiraVista).

The Effect Of Hormonal Contraceptive Use On Dominance And Prestige Tactics, Carson Chappell

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between hormonal contraceptives and prestige and dominance status-seeking tactics. Existing literature has examined how the hormones estrogen and progesterone, especially in relation to the fertile window of the menstrual cycle, are associated with prestige and dominance but has yet to look in depth at how hormonal contraceptives might alter this impact. The current study asked participants to complete a 22- item questionnaire assessing dominance and prestige. I hypothesized that women on hormonal contraceptives would have lower scores for prestige and dominance compared to women who are naturally cycling. The results did not …

Exploring Genomic Convergence For Adaptations To Freezing Environments In Polar Fish, Ethan Talley

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Convergent evolution provides valuable insights into how natural selection shapes species traits. Genomic analysis of lineages that display convergent traits has the potential to identify candidate genes for environmental adaptations across the scope of entire genomes. One remarkable example of convergent evolution is the independent development of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) in phylogenetically distant polar fish lineages. While AFPs themselves are relatively well studied, the full genomic context of adaptation to freezing conditions in these fish lineages remains largely unexplored. Leveraging the whole genome sequences previously assembled in our lab, along with other high-quality genomes available in GenBank, I examined the …

The Impact Of Brain Cholesterol (24-Hydroxycholesterol (24-Hc) And 27- Hydroxycholesterol (27-Hc)) On Invitro Phenotypes Of Brain Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells, Cherish Iroabuchi

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Brain metastases is one of the leading causes of breast cancer mortality and rates continue to increase. It has been previously shown that cholesterol metabolism is an important regulator of cancer progression. 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol (24-HC) and 27- hydroxycholesterol (27-HC) are cholesterol derivatives primarily found in the brain but their role in regulating oncoprotein expression remains unclear. The goal of this thesis was to determine the effect of 24-HC and 27-HC on in-vitro metastatic phenotypes of breast cancer cells previously shown by the Bailey laboratory to metastasize to the brain in a hematogenous metastasis xenograft model.

Materials and Methods: Western blot …

Characterizing The Influence Of Depth And Glacial Drift On Microbial Community Diversity And Potential Carbon-Cycling Enzyme Activity In Permafrost Soils, Dana Victoria Bakke

Master's Theses and Capstones

Microbial communities in permafrost soils play an important role in breaking down organic matter and cycling nutrients. Despite difficult environmental conditions including below-freezing temperatures, yearly freeze-thaw cycles, and short growing seasons, these microbial communities remain active year-round. To better understand the microbial community diversity and potential activity across environmental gradients in northern Alaska, I sequenced the microbial community and measured the potential enzyme activity of three carbon-cycling enzymes at 5-centimeter increments in 60-centimeter soil cores spanning active layer and permafrost at three moist acidic tundra sites located on landscapes with different glacial histories in northern Alaska. I found that microbial …

Annual And Seasonal Variability In Tundra Vole (Microtus Oeconomus) Diet, Mary Kathleen Lisi

Master's Theses and Capstones

Within arctic ecosystems, small mammals (voles and lemmings) influence plantcommunity composition, soil nutrient availability, and carbon cycling through foraging and the deposition of waste. Yet, little is known about rodent diet specifically and how it may vary annually and seasonally. Here, we characterize the composition and stability in tundra vole (Microtus oeconomus) diet in northern Alaska using stable isotope analysis of fecal and hair samples collected over a seven-year period. Results from Bayesian stable isotope mixing models from both fecal and hair sample data show that tundra voles in northern Alaska predominately feed on rhizomatous sedges, Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex …

Investigating The Relationship Between Sediment Methane Production And Ebullition In Sub-Arctic Lakes, Josibel Pardo

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arctic and subarctic ecosystems are experiencing accelerated warming compared to other regions. Increasing arctic lake sediment and water temperatures stimulate the formation and emission of methane (CH4). Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that can contribute to a global warming feedback loop, in which temperatures rise due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, which in return further increases those emissions. Methane emitted from lakes is primarily emitted through ebullition (bubbling). Various environmental characteristics have an impact on CH4 cycling in aquatic environments, such as temperature, water depth, organic matter, and nutrient availability. Sediment CH4 production is also an important driver of …

Stable Isotopic Signatures From Methane Bubbles, Lake Sediments, And Plants: A Latitudinal Study Of Lake Sediment Methane And Organic Carbon, Theresa Reynolds

Master's Theses and Capstones

Stable isotopes of carbon can be measured in gases (methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) and in organic carbon material like sediments and plants. The stable carbon isotopic ratios in methane (δ13C-CH4) are used in atmospheric inversion models to determine ground sources and calculate the magnitude of emissions. δ13C-CH4 from natural ecosystems is influenced not only by microbial production and oxidation processes but also by the precursor organic matter’s isotopic ratios (plants and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)). Lakes account for 9-24% of global methane emissions and emissions are expected to increase with climate change and warming temperatures. The δ13C-CH4 signatures …

The Microbial Diversity In The Spruce Hole Aquifer Associated With Artificial Recharge Practices, Rafaela Paes De Souza Barbosa

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Systems are utilized globally for underground water storage and subsequent retrieval, serving as a key water management strategy. In Durham, NH, an ASR system was established in the Spruce Hole formation to address various water supply needs, including meeting future demand, reducing treatment costs, and providing backup supply options. This system replenishes the aquifer using water from the Lamprey River. Given the importance of microbial communities in groundwater quality, understanding their composition is crucial. This study explores the microbial diversity in the Spruce Hole aquifer, comparing it to the surface water used for recharge and …

Assessing The Resistance And Resilience Of Recreationally Important Fish Species To Extreme Events In Coastal Texas, Ana Cecilia Silverio

Master's Theses and Capstones

Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. In turn, these extreme events may affect coastal resources such as fisheries. Extreme events not only have ecological effects but also economic and cultural impacts as human communities throughout the world depend on coastal resources for their livelihoods. In this thesis, I used long-term fisheries independent data to discern how different coastal Texas recreational fish species (Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, and Southern Flounder) were affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and a freeze event in 2021. I found variation in the post-storm response (percent …

Reconstructing Paleo-Sulfate Methane Transition Zones In The Japan Trench, Camille Rachel Sullivan

Master's Theses and Capstones

In deep marine subduction zone settings, the movement of sediment pore fluids, as well as sediment transport and deposition, are likely to occur during earthquake ruptures and leave evidence in the sedimentary record. This seismic activity could influence the depth of the sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ), a moving diagenetic front that produces sulfide and carbonate minerals through time. One method for the reconstruction of paleo-SMTZ positions in marine sediments is the measurement of downcore bulk sulfur isotopic compositions. Sulfide produced by organoclastic sulfate reduction (OSR) is less enriched in δ34S while sulfide produced by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) …

A Novel ‘Adjacent Mycorrhizal Symbiosis’ In Invasive Garlic Mustard, Joshua A. Trombley

Master's Theses and Capstones

Invasion of temperate forests by Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) may be affected by interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Although AMF are generally mutualists of land plants, they suppress the growth of close relatives of garlic mustard1–3. Garlic mustard produces indolic glucosinolates, a class of organic compounds known to suppress AMF4,5 and which may protect the plant from AMF antagonism. We would therefore expect a negative interaction between these organisms. Contrary to this expectation, we show that AMF inoculation promotes garlic mustard growth, and this effect is influenced by investments in plant defense. AMF inoculation and subsequent colonization increased plant …

The Influence Of Lake Productivity On Methane Production And Ebullition From Temperate And Arctic Lake Sediments, Megan Wimsatt

Master's Theses and Capstones

Northern freshwater lakes (> 40°N) are an increasingly recognized major contributor of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere. Climate warming and eutrophication acceleration threaten to increase CH4 emissions from these lake ecosystems, particularly in littoral (shallow lake edge) zones where ebullition (bubbling) is often a dominant flux pathway. Few studies have investigated the impacts of lake productivity on limnological CH4 cycling for a range of trophic classes and provided a comparison between different latitudes. Here, we analyzed chlorophyll α (chlα; proxy for lake productivity), other water quality parameters, sediment CH4 production rates, and ebullition rates at nine …