Digital Commons Network^™

Stylemys Nebrascensis Predation Hypothesis, Noah Lohrmeyer, Amanda Peng

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In 2008 a fossilized tortoise shell was brought into the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. As we prepared the fossil, we observed markings that resembled predation. We are trying to find what species from the White River Formation could preyed on the tortoise. There are few publications on predation for this species. With few publications, we want to find what predator would hunt these species. We cross referenced the site of the tortoise and observed several carnivorous species. We used straight carapace length (Hermanson et al., 2024) and a regression formula (Wilson et al., 2016) to analyze the species we …

Sustainable Land Use Optimization In Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes Of Ukrainian Polissia, Iryna Mcdonald, Liudmyla Raichuk

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Sustainable Land Use Optimization in Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes of Ukrainian Polissia

Dr. Iryna McDonald¹, Dr. Liudmyla Raichuk²

¹Fort Hays State University, Department of Agriculture, Hays, KS, USA

²Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the NAAS, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The radioecological situation in territories contaminated due to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident remains challenging, particularly in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Rivne regions, where certain products continue to exhibit elevated levels of radionuclide content. Contemporary challenges –  such as the full-scale war, which has led to the loss of productive lands in southern and eastern …

David Berkowitz, Enzyme-Assisted Organic Synthesis & Nsf Officer, Mark A. Griep, David B. Berkowitz

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Interviews

Dr. Dave Berkowitz was born in Urbana, Illinois. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago, where he did undergraduate research. Next, he earned his doctorate from Harvard University. However, his advisor, Steve Benner, moved from Harvard to ETH Zurich, also called the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Dave accompanied him to Zurich, where he completed his dissertation work. When Dave returned to the U.S., he did a postdoc with the legendary Samuel Danishefsky at Yale University. In 1991, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of chemistry and quickly rose through the ranks. Dave is …

Heavy Metal In Water Resources, Zuming Bi, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Heavy metal pollution in surface water has posed a serious threat to human health. The goals of this research are to analyze the concentration and distribution of key heavy metals and compare the measured values with global standards. This study analyzed major heavy metals like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Ag across several test points in Kansas and converted them to standard units mg/L. Based on the statistical graph, heavy metal iron and manganese levels are exceeded USEPA and WHO limits several times,  while other heavy metals stay in the safe range. The results indicate that the pollution in Kansas …

The Role Of Dna Exoneration In The Bloodsworth Case, John T. Brasfield

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In the Kirk Bloodsworth case, a man was falsely convicted for the rape and murder of Dawn Hamilton. He spent eight years in prison after being convicted through witness testimony, where he learned about DNA profiling. After submitting a request to check his DNA against the DNA left at the scene, he was exonerated. Later, the DNA left at the scene was checked against a database and got a hit on a convicted rapist who had been charged shortly after Mr. Bloodsworth. If there had been the same access to DNA technology during the trial or if they had listened …

Electrophoretic Deposition Of Chitosan-Based Coatings On Magnesium Alloys For Implant Applications: A Review, M. H. Payampur, D. Azimi, W. W. Milligan, M. Razzaghi, H. R. Bakhsheshi-Rad, J. Drelich

Michigan Tech Publications

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are highly promising materials for biomedical applications due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, their rapid corrosion in physiological environments remains a significant barrier to their use in implantable devices. Surface modification techniques, particularly chitosan (CS)-based coatings, have shown considerable potential in addressing these challenges. CS, as a biopolymer, not only reduces the corrosion rate of Mg alloys but also enhances their biological performance. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a highly versatile technique that enables the uniform deposition of CS and CS-composite coatings on Mg alloys. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of depositing CS and …

False Confessions Of A Teenage Boy: The Case Of Brian Boles And Charles Collins, Rebekah Bottner

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

On February 8, 1994, James Reid was found dead in his apartment in New York. In the days following the murder, detectives spoke to several people who lived in the building, looking for potential leads or suspects, including 17-year-old Brain Boles. Boles was initially released from questioning after he signed a statement confirming his alibi and that barely knew Reid. A month later, Boles was arrested for a separate assault and robbery. For this crime, Boles confessed, but he was then subjected to an intense and lengthy interrogation for the murder of James Reid. Eventually, Boles also confessed to the …

A Heavy Burden: Linking Body Mass, Locomotion, And Osteopathology In Aphelops And Teleoceras, Kaden W. Moses, Amanda Peng

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The Miocene of North America was characterized by a transition from C3 woodlands to more open C4 grasslands. This transition drove sympatric rhinoceroses of the Ogallala Group, Aphelops and Teleoceras, to adapt in different ways. With the two responding differently, their osteological morphology should reflect this. An animal’s mass and locomotor habit are reflected by their skeleton as is the record of injury, stress, and disease. Twenty-two unassociated specimens (10 Teleoceras humeri, 10 Teleoceras femurs, and 2 Aphelops humeri), from the Fort Hays Sternberg Museum paleontology collection were analyzed. To study this relationship, the femur and humerus were selected …

Health Data And Policy Related To Methamphetamine-Use Suicide In Mississippi, Mary C. Drane

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to investigate how methamphetamine use in Mississippi, especially in its rural areas, intersects with public health, policy, and suicide outcomes in the state. Mississippi's methamphetamine crisis has evolved significantly, shifting from locally produced drugs to cartel-supplied crystal methamphetamine, while state and federal policies have struggled to keep pace with the scale and complexity of the problem. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, this research analyzed CDC Wonder multiple causes of death data and SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set Admissions (TEDS-A) data from 2018 to 2024 alongside four qualitative key informant interviews with stakeholders across …

Moving Toward Better-Defined Research Support Roles: Piloting Postdoctoral Training For Research Development, Heather Siedhoff, Matt Easter, Katie Rieger, Alan Toigo, Erin Teeple, Heather N. Russell-Simmons, Charlene Emerson

Research Development Review: The NORDP Journal

Research development (RD) is gaining recognition as an attractive career field, but navigating the variability of RD across universities can be difficult for prospective professionals. The growth of RD highlights the need to better characterize the distribution of RD duties and develop new paradigms for training RD professionals. We conducted a survey-based institutional case study of 123 research support staff at the University of Missouri (MU) from Nov. 3 to Dec. 15, 2023 to characterize the distribution of RD and research administration (RA) responsibilities across individual positions and units. Survey data showed a wide range of job titles associated with …

A Systematic Review Of Factors Supporting Early-Career Grant Success For Faculty In Stem And Medicine, Melanie Bauer

Research Development Review: The NORDP Journal

This literature review examines the factors and interventions that support early-career success in grant-seeking and research for faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as medical fields (collectively termed “STEMM”) at U.S. higher education institutions. Given the persistent and growing focus on securing external funding across colleges and universities, this investigation is valuable to both scholarly and practitioner audiences. Using a systematic and critical approach, this review summarizes the strengths and gaps of existing research. It highlights the limited focus of extant studies on grant seeking as distinct from publications when characterizing faculty productivity; calls for expanded …

The Stories We Inherit And The Books That Question Them, Sanayah Mulla-Peroze

Neureuther Book Collection Essay Competition

Undergraduate winner: 2nd place, 2026, 39th Annual Carl Neureuther Student Book Collection Competition

Research Development Personas: Beyond The Case Of Many Hats, Melanie Bauer, Joshua Roney

Research Development Review: The NORDP Journal

Research Development (RD) professionals are often described as wearing “many hats”—a metaphor that reflects the diverse roles and responsibilities they assume to support faculty and institutional research goals. However, this framing does not fully capture the nuanced, relational, and strategic ways RD professionals engage with stakeholders. This article introduces the concept of RD personas to describe six approaches to support used by RD professionals: Consultant, Coach, Collaborator, Connector, Champion, and Creator. Drawing from the authors’ professional experience and recent NSF-funded projects, the article distinguishes these personas as holistic modes of engagement that shape how RD professionals provide support, build capacity, …

Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks In Ai-Driven Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Dhaval Dinesh Panchal, Osama Mohd Hash Ansari, Sudha Divya Madhuri Kallam

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being utilized in pharmaceutical research and development to speed up drug discovery, enhance clinical trial design, and support regulatory decision-making. However, the increasingly rapid adoption of AI in the pharma industry has outpaced the development of consistent ethical governance, raising concerns related to data privacy, transparency, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder trust. This study explored the methods by which project managers could develop and utilize ethical decision-making frameworks to facilitate responsible AI implementation in pharmaceutical research and development. Guided by the Responsible Innovation framework, this research employed a mixed-methods design combining semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys with …

Apoe As A Potential Link In Glioblastoma Therapeutic Resistance, Xiwen She, Ifelayo Adefuye

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor characterized by recurrence and resistance to therapy, which are driven by interactions between glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and the tumor microenvironment. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed using QIAGEN CLC Genomics Workbench to identify genes associated with tumor–immune interactions. Following clustering, differential expression, and a multi-step prioritization strategy, we identified APOE as a top candidate gene connecting tumor and immune processes, contributing to therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma.

Desialylation And Sialidase Secretion From Monocytes And Macrophages Upon Lps Activation, Yu Zhao, Majdi Aljohani, Morgan Pychowycz, Xue-Long Sun

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Introduction The cell surface expresses a dense layer of glycans often terminated with sialic acids (Sias), known as sialylation, which represents different cellular statuses. Meanwhile, the removal of Sias from the glycans catalyzed by sialidase (desialylation) is also involved in many biological processes, such as inflammatory responses. Previous studies demonstrated that desialylation is involved in LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. In this report, we systematically profiled desialylation and sialidase activity, expression and secretion from monocytes and macrophages upon LPS activation.Methods THP-1 monocytes and THP-1 macrophages were activated by LPS (100 ng/mL) for 24 hours. The cellular Sia changes …

Effectiveness Of The Mediterranean Diet For Sustained Weight Maintenance Following Glp-1 Medication Discontinuation: A Longitudinal Prospective Study, Nitya Reddy, Josephine Thomas, Julie Salam

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are effective for short-term weight reduction in adults with obesity, yet weight regain is frequent after discontinued use of the medication. Identifying sustainable dietary approaches that support long-term weight maintenance is imperative. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with improving metabolic health and resistant weight control, suggesting it may be an effective strategy for the transition off GLP-1 therapy. Men and women ages 45-55 that are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and receiving GLP-1 receptor therapy are the targets of this study, specifically those who plan to discontinue medication within the next three months. On …

Oral Butyrate Supplementation In Patients With Als: Impact On Gut Microbiota And Disease Progression, Annabelle Keller, Kaydee Kinnett, Camaryn Barbanel, Trinity Blakeney

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor neuron loss. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in gut microbiota—particularly reductions in butyrate-producing bacteria—may contribute to neuroinflammatory pathways involved in disease progression. Observational studies in patients with ALS and preclinical findings from transgenic mouse models demonstrate gut microbial dysbiosis, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and improved survival following butyrate supplementation, suggesting the potential role of butyrate availability in ALS pathophysiology. The present study investigates whether oral butyrate supplementation can modulate inflammatory responses, improve gut microbiota composition, and slow functional decline among patients with ALS. Participants will be recruited from …

Mental Models Of Autonomy And Sentience Shape Reactions To Ai, Janet V.T. Pauketat, Daniel Burton Shank, Aikaterina Manoli, Jacy Reese Anthis

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Narratives about artificial intelligence (AI) entangle autonomy, the capacity to self-govern, with sentience, the capacity to sense and feel. AI agents that perform tasks autonomously and companions that recognize and express emotions may activate mental models of autonomy and sentience, respectively, provoking distinct reactions. To examine this possibility, we conducted three pilot studies (N = 374) and four preregistered vignette experiments describing an AI as autonomous, sentient, both, or neither (N = 2,702). Activating a mental model of sentience increased general mind perception (cognition and emotion) and moral consideration more than autonomy, but autonomy increased perceived threat more than sentience. …

Negotiating Digital Identities With Ai Companions: Motivations, Strategies, And Emotional Outcomes, Renkai Ma, Shuo Niu, Lingyao Li, Alexander Hirth, Ava Brehm, Rowajana Behterin Barbie

Computer Science

AI companions enable deep emotional relationships by engaging a user's sense of identity, but they also pose risks like unhealthy emotional dependence. Mitigating these risks requires first understanding the underlying process of identity construction and negotiation with AI companions. Focusing on Character.AI (C.AI), a popular AI companion, we conducted an LLM-assisted thematic analysis of 22,374 online discussions on its subreddit. Using Identity Negotiation Theory as an analytical lens, we identified a three-stage process: 1) five user motivations; 2) an identity negotiation process involving three communication expectations and four identity co-construction strategies; and 3) three emotional outcomes. Our findings surface the …

Implantable, Sensor-Embedded Vascular Graft Towards Wireless Monitoring Of Stenosis, Nnamdi Dike

LSU Master's Theses

Arteriovenous (AV) grafts are commonly used to provide vascular access for hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease. Despite their widespread use, AV grafts are prone to complications such as stenosis and thrombosis. Early detection of these conditions remains challenging with current monitoring methods too costly or insufficient. This work presents the design, fabrication, and validation of an LC pressure sensor embedded within a model AV graft to enable real-time monitoring. The proposed system integrates a parallel-plate capacitive pressure sensor with a spiral inductor to form an LC circuit embedded within an elastomeric graft wall. The Ecoflex 00-30 dielectric layer …

Three-Dimensional Imaging Of Neuronal Activation Patterns In Chronic Neuropathic Pain And Opioid Pharmacology, Madeline Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic neuropathic pain severely diminishes quality of life, yet the supraspinal neural circuits that sustain pain perception and mediate analgesic relief remain incompletely characterized. While peripheral and spinal pain pathways are well established, relatively few studies have mapped pain- or opioid-related neuronal activation across the entire brain. This dissertation employed activity-dependent genetic labeling (TRAP2/Ai9), whole-brain tissue clearing, light sheet microscopy, and graph-theoretic network analysis to characterize brain-wide activation patterns across chronic pain and analgesic conditions in mice.

In Chapter 1, we mapped supraspinal neuronal activation in a bilateral spared nerve injury model of chronic neuropathic pain. Although no individual region …

The Solar Car Challenge’S Impact On Participants’ Stem College/Career Aspirations And Nace Career-Ready Competencies Development, Allan Phipps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the impact and efficacy of the Solar Car Challenge (SCC), a secondary-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition, on alumni postsecondary educational and career outcomes. The study investigated whether participation in the SCC influenced students’ pursuit of STEM college majors, entry into STEM-related careers, and development of career-ready competencies aligned with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) framework. While prior research has identified positive relationships between participation in national STEM competitions and STEM aspirations, no empirical studies have examined the SCC or its long-term outcomes.

Using survey data from SCC alumni, this study …

Urban And Suburban Teachers’ Perceptions Of Burnout In The Post-Covid19 Era: A Mixed Methods Dissertation In Education, Dylan Rossin

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the professional demands placed on K–12 teachers, intensifying concerns related to occupational burnout. This mixed-methods study examined urban and suburban public school teachers’ perceptions of burnout in the post–Covid-19 era, with particular attention to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Grounded in Maslach’s theory of burnout, the study sought to determine whether differences existed between urban and suburban teachers’ burnout experiences and to explore educators’ perspectives on factors contributing to burnout following the pandemic.

Participants included full-time public K–12 teachers in Pennsylvania with a minimum of three years of teaching experience. Quantitative data were collected …

Coral Reef Hydrodynamics: A Critical Review Of Roughness Indices And Their Characteristic Complexity, Faisal Karim, N. A. K. Nandasena, Lujain Kuruvachalil, Mohamed M. Mohamed, James P. Terry

All Works

This study provides a systematic review of hydrodynamic roughness in coral reef systems, focusing on drag coefficient (Cd), Manning's roughness coefficient (n), friction factor, and rugosity metrics. A structured bibliometric analysis was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science databases, including field measurements, laboratory flume experiments, and numerical studies validated with physical data. Results show substantial variability in roughness parameters across scales and environments. Reported drag coefficients range from 0.002 for smooth sandy beds to values exceeding 7.0 in complex mangrove-reef systems, with typical reef crest values between 0.05 and 0.30. Manning's n varies from 0.01 in smooth channels to …

Ensuring Year-Round Fresh Strawberries: A Sustainable Supply Chain Approach, Rizza Panopio Constantino, Leilani De Guzman

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

This study aims to develop a sustainable and cost-efficient sourcing strategy for fresh strawberries used in the strawberry jam production of Tantamco’s Fine Foods (TFF), a well-known pasalubong (locally produced gift food items commonly brought home from trips) shop in Baguio City, Philippines. Specifically, the study seeks to identify the key factors causing price volatility and supply instability and determine strategic interventions that can ensure a more stable, affordable, and year-round strawberry supply. Employing a qualitative research approach, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with strawberry farmers, market vendors, traders, fellow jam producers, and the company’s procurement personnel. The findings reveal …

Advancing Cyclic Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry For Structural Characterization, Isomer Discrimination And Gas-Phase Ion Chemistry, Sudam Shivaji Mane

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the development and application of high-resolution ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) methodologies for gas-phase separation and structural characterization of small molecules, with particular emphasis on epimers, positional isomers, and protomers. In addition to structural separations, this work investigates fundamental aspects of gas-phase ion chemistry using IMS-MS in combination with collision-induced ion activation and dissociation techniques. Advanced separations were performed using cyclic traveling-wave ion mobility spectrometry (cyclic TWIMS), implemented in a commercial cyclic ion mobility-mass spectrometry (cIMS) platform, to systematically evaluate both the capabilities and limitations of high-resolution IMS in resolving subtle structural differences. Initial studies demonstrated that, …

Roles Of Mads-Box Transcription Factors In Plant Responses To Abiotic And Biotic Stresses, Na Liu, Zihao Liu, Guangxiang Tian, Shijia Zhao, Hao Chu, Yiheng Hu, Yingfan Zhao, Yanyan Zhang, Kun Cheng, Daowen Wang, Wenming Zheng, Zhengqing Fu, Xu Wang

Faculty Publications

Plants deploy sophisticated adaptive mechanisms to mitigate the detrimental effects of abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and heavy metals) and biotic stresses (pathogens and senescence) on growth and productivity. Central to these responses are transcription factors (TFs) that orchestrate stress-responsive gene networks. Among TF families, MADS-box proteins, characterized by their evolutionarily conserved DNA-binding domain, function as pivotal regulators of developmental plasticity and stress adaptation. While recent advances have clarified their roles in abiotic stress tolerance, a systematic integration of their functions in biotic stress responses has yet to be achieved. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how MADS-box TFs …

Adoptive Cell Therapies For Glioblastoma: A Quest For Cures From Within, Jia-Shiun Leu, Xin Ge, Charles Robin Yu, Guang Peng, Jiyong Liang

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most aggressive form of brain cancer recalcitrant to both current standard-of-care and immune checkpoint therapies that benefit other cancer patients. Adoptive cell therapies (ACT) using patients' own immune cells have long been explored as a treatment strategy, including the historically studied lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, the evolving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) directed immune cells, the newly emerging tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte (TIL) therapies, and others. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown promise but also highlighted significant challenges. In this review, we summarize these findings, highlight recent developments, discuss current limitations, and emphasize how ACT may benefit from …

Chimes: April 13, 2026, Calvin University

Chimes

Calvin Prison Initiative celebrates record enrollment, grows in program offerings by Ellerie Poel

Chad Tatko elected Faculty Senate chair by Ian Tjoelker

A final exchange: Calvin FLTA program comes to an end by Sarah Sparling

Interpreting a musical for modern times: CTC adapts "Bye Bye Birdie" to include ASL by McKenna Wilkinson

Jalen Overway heads to Division 1 for final year of eligibility by Zach Kern and Hendrik Beelen

From Every Nation Week promotes multicultural learning across campus by Ellery Johnson