Integration Of Matlab And Machine Learning To Accelerate Evaluation Of Biological Activity In Agricultural Soils And Promote Soil Health Improvement Goals, Andrew Stiven Ortiz Balsero

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditionally, assessments of soil biological activity have been confined to laboratory settings, creating a disconnect with practical in-field methods. To bridge this gap, cotton fabric degradation has been used to illustrate soil microbial activity under different management practices. While effective, these demonstrations are subjective and labor-intensive.

Researchers have explored using image processing software like ImageJ and Adobe Photoshop to streamline this process. Although these tools accurately quantified fabric degradation under varying soil conditions, the methods remained labor-intensive and complex. Consequently, these methods were still not ideal for on-farm use by agricultural practitioners.

To further address labor and complexity limitations, the …

We're Swarming Again! Swarming, Collectivity, And Trope: The Case Of Extinction Rebellion, Tyler J. Behymer

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the rhetoric of the eco-movement Extinction Rebellion, focusing on the use of swarming and nature tropes to mobilize collective action and revivify contemporary notions of collectivity. Drawing on rhetoric of social movement scholarship, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis, this essay theorizes swarming as a tropological economy that expands the conditions of propriety in the context of collectivity. Through an analysis of Extinction Rebellion’s discourse, this study demonstrates how the naturalization of swarming tropes works in various ways to rewild conventional political discourse, galvanize disruptive collective assembly, and challenge green neoliberalism.

Advisor: Casey Ryan Kelly

Gevrey Class Estimates Towards Null Controllability Of A Fluid Structure Interaction System, Dylan Mcknight

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Fluid-Structure Interaction concerns the interaction of parabolic fluids and hyperbolic elastic structures via numerous mechanisms such as boundary coupling and pressure. These models find application in blood flow, fluid flow in the eye, and air flow over plane wings. Parabolic equations are well known for “infinite speed of propagation,” which manifests itself via a uniform bound on the resolvent of the infinitesimal generator of the associated strongly continuous semigroup. Qualitatively, a solution of a parabolic pde with rough initial data is immediately smooth for any positive time. A priori, it is not clear whether a fluid structure interaction inherits any …

Search For Physics Beyond The Standard Model In Top Quark Production With Additional Leptons In The Context Of Effective Field Theory, Furong Yan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The dissertation presents a search for new physics impacting top quark productions within the framework of effective field theory (EFT). Potential new physics effects are parameterized in terms of 26 dimension-six EFT operators into the event yields of six distinct top production processes in the detector level. The analysis targets multilepton final states consisting of two leptons of the same charge, three leptons and four leptons. The events are further categorized and binned in terms of kinematic distributions in order to gain sensitivity to the new physics effects. A likelihood function is formulated based on the predicted distribution in each …

Praying To Tiktok, Seeking The Self: How Rhetoric Reveals And Conceals The World’S Most Powerful Guru Of The Postindustrial Age, Samantha L. Gillespie-Hoffman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Imagine a world where the most powerful leader is a wellness guru that runs an elaborate church with millions of followers. The guru is so powerful that everyone believes they can read minds and make ordinary people rich and famous. The guru controls forms of communication, media channels, consumer tastes, and what people eat, drink, say, and even think. What if this guru was not human but actually an algorithm? Does this sound like the plot of a science fiction novel? I argue that this scenario is closer to reality than most will admit. In this project, readers encounter a …

Phylogenetic And Biogeographic Patterns Of Devonian Proetid Trilobites, Katherine Jane Jordan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ecological disruption events such as mass extinctions can result in the permanent alteration in clades and ecosystems. A pivotal time of change during the history of life on Earth can be seen in the Devonian Period. During this time, major transitions in marine and terrestrial system resulted in a different world at the end of the period in comparison to the beginning. One such group most heavily impacted were trilobites. Trilobites were reduced to one order by the end of the Devonian: Proetida. My dissertation focuses on phylogenetic, biogeographic, and paleocommunity patterns of this group, known as the last of …

Nanoparticle-Based Approaches To Brain Injury And Studies For Improved Detectability Toward Better Delivery Characterization, Hunter A. Miller

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The clinical translation of nanoparticle (NP) therapeutics for brain injury has been slow despite preclinical promise. The causes of disconnect between preclinical and clinical outcomes is multifactorial, but insufficient delivery is noteworthy. Preclinical delivery characterization often lacks, obscuring mechanisms of failure, slowing development. Multimodal imaging is a promising strategy to improve delivery characterization, combining the strengths of various modalities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and luminescence imaging are a suitable combination for multimodal imaging, expanding the spatial and temporal resolution of either alone, but further material development is needed to enhance detectability. One problem is the interference of cellular autofluorescence in …

Gender Stereotyping In An Agricultural Sample, Andrea Fink-Armold

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A vast wealth of social psychological research conducted over half a century has demonstrated the consequences of gender stereotypes. However, this research has significant limitations. Namely, generalizability outside of academia and the effects of social change. This study examined a non-academic population that has recently experienced significant gender role redistribution to overcome these limitations. Utilizing a full-cycle research approach consisting of both ethnographic and experimental methods, I examined three research questions: 1) how do gender stereotypes manifest within rural agricultural communities? 2) how is women’s increased participation in agriculture related to changes in gender stereotype use? and 3) how do …

Psychopathy And Moral Decision Making, Dimitra Kourtesi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the 1800s, psychopathy has been regarded as the absence of morality. The goal of our study was to explore whether psychopathic traits can affect the moral decision-making process in sacrificial moral dilemmas. Participants completed multiple self-report measures of psychopathic traits, utilitarian tendencies, and 16 sacrificial moral dilemma vignettes. After each hypothetical vignette, participants decided whether they believed it was morally right, permissible, and whether they behaviorally intended to sacrifice one person to save five people. Positive correlations emerged among all variables, which allowed us to perform a mediation analysis. Instrumental Harm – the idea of sacrificing one individual to …

Understanding The Role Of Discrimination In The Experience Of Traumatic Stress In Latine, Michelle Strong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction. Research has found that low provider culture knowledge leads to poor mental health outcomes for Latine clients (Duke et al., 2011). Further, the 2017 APA Multicultural Guidelines emphasize the need for clinicians and researchers to conceptualize clinical and empirical data from a culturally competent lens, especially considering clinician and researcher bias while understanding a psychological phenomenon. Despite this, limited research exists categorizing the unique factors that affect mental health symptoms among Latine living in the United States (U.S.) especially as it pertains to trauma stress and discrimination (Marmot, 2005; Nadal, 2018). As such, the current study used meditational statistical …

The Effectiveness Of Waste Tire Pyrolysis Oils (Wtpos) As Rejuvenating Agents For Asphalt Materials, Ahmed S. El-Ashwah, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The continuous increase in solid waste materials, such as waste tires, underscores the critical importance of recycling them to mitigate environmental impact and promote sustainable resource management. This research study evaluated the effectiveness of utilizing waste tire pyrolysis oils (WTPOs) as recycling agents for asphalt materials. The chemical composition and thermal behavior of WTPO were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Mechanically, the prepared WTPO binders were assessed by measuring dynamic viscosity and changes in high- and intermediate-temperature performance grades. Additionally, the cracking susceptibility of the binders was evaluated using the Glover-Rowe (G-R) parameter. The …

Indefinability Of Effective Stress For Unsaturated Soils, Xiong Zhang, Sandra Houston

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

For decades, researchers have searched for an unsaturated soil effective stress that performs analogously to effective stress for saturated soils and provides some simplifications over net stress and suction approaches. A recent debate is whether problems identified with unsaturated soil effective stress can be resolved via elastoplastic analyses. Effective stress equations are reviewed and categorized as being based on volume change, shear strength, yield, or degree of saturation. These equations are evaluated for consistency with saturated soil effective stress expectations using the Barcelona basic model (BBM), simplified into an integrated elastoplastic framework using the modified state surface approach (MSSA). Under …

Alcohol And Cognition: Ego Threat As A Moderator, Erin Prince

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined how ego threat (negative feedback) interacts with alcohol consumption to influence cognitive performance. We hypothesized ego threat would moderate the effects of alcohol on impulse control and attention in 30 college students (21-49 years). A 2×2 factorial design assessed performance on the Visual Search Task (attention) and Go/No-Go Task (impulse control) under laboratory and naturalistic settings, while sober or intoxicated. Alcohol consumption impaired performance, as evidenced by slower reaction times during visual search. An interaction effect emerged, with the combination of alcohol and ego threat further compromising reaction times. Interestingly, higher baseline impulsivity correlated with faster reaction …

Evaluation Of Manual Thermal Brake Screening Systems, Jeeyen Koo, David Leddy, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In 2021, manual thermal brake screening systems were installed at Lyon EB and Rowan County weigh stations. Two additional units were installed at Laurel SB and Scott County weigh stations the following year. Although this system is called a thermal brake screening system, its thermal camera images are used to find both brake and tire-related violations. At the time of this project, Lyon (EB), Rowan, and Scott County inspection locations also had tire pressure detection systems in addition to manual thermal brake screening systems. Both systems can be used to identify tire-related violations, but inspectors prefer to use the tire …

Venturing In Limbo: Entrepreneurial Resourcefulness By The Forcibly Displaced., Sadek Showkat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurial resourcefulness is an overarching concept in the entrepreneurial process that has gained momentum among theorists and practitioners. Traditionally, entrepreneurial resourcefulness is theorized as a state—a behavior or trait—rather than a process. However, our understanding of this concept changes significantly when viewed through the lens of the lived experiences of forcibly displaced individuals. This dissertation presents a theoretical and empirical investigation of how these entrepreneurs pursue entrepreneurial resourcefulness through three interrelated essays. The first essay provides a problematizing review and introduces a novel typology (exogenous vs. endogenous) that captures the heterogeneity of the construction of entrepreneurial resourcefulness across …

Mobilizing Feminist Politics In Yugoslavia: Sanja Iveković And Vlasta Delimar’S Performance Art., Candyce Sturgeon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the radical performance works of Yugoslavian artists Sanja Iveković and Vlasta Delimar. Three performances by each artist are analyzed and juxtaposed with one another. These performances include Triangle, 1979, He is Looking at Me all the Time, 1979, and Nessie, 1981 performed by Sanja Iveković along with This was Me in 1980 when Comrade Tito Died, 1980, Visual Orgasm, 1981, and Tied to a Tree, 1985 performed by Vlasta Delimar. Throughout the paper I argue that these performances by Iveković and Delimar, along with their differing stances on feminism, create a multifaceted …

Contested Spaces: Unhoused Black Men And Their Survival Within The Urban Landscape., Jonathan Riley Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thousands of unhoused Black men sleep, live and eat on the streets daily. Many lack the essential resources to survive through the elements. However, little is known about how unhoused Black men share space with the public, businesses, law enforcement and each other. Furthermore, little is known about how unhoused Black men access services once displacement has occurred. Drawing on participant observation and in-depth interviews, I examine how unhoused Black men navigate occupied urban spaces. I find that unhoused Black men regularly encounter contested spaces with businesses, the public, hospitals, and law enforcement. Additionally, unhoused Black men must navigate through …

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Dynamic Routing And Spectrum Access In Aeronautical Networks., Zhe Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the airspace is experiencing an increasing number of aircraft, spectrum sharing among Air Vehicles (AVs) and Terrestrial Users (TUs) emerges as a compelling solution to improve spectrum utilization efficiency. I investigated three types of aeronautical communication including the single-hop Air-Air Communication Network (AACN), the multi-hop Air-Air Ad-hoc Network (AAAN), and the Aerial and Terrestrial Hybrid Network (ATHN). I assume a spectrum-limited scenario through all communication networks. Thus, the number of communication pairs is greater than that of the available channels, resulting in co-channel interference due to the reuse of the same channel among communication links. In a single-hop AACN, …

Bayesian Approaches In Multi-State Markov Models And High Dimensional Time-To-Event Data., Yuchen Han

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two projects. The first one involves nonparametric methods on Continuous Time Markov Chains (CTMCs). The second one is centered around Bayesian shrinkage models for detecting prognostic and predictive biomarkers in high-dimensional clinical data. Both these projects build on methods from across the frequentist and Bayesian paradigm to offer novel solutions. In the first project, we aim to model the nonlinear effects of continuous variables within multistate framework in a non-parametrically by appealing to the rich mathematical framework of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS). Then we adapted the classical Representer Theorem to penalized (squared norm) log-likelihood which …

Health Professions Education And Critical Action Engagement: A Mixed Method Analysis., Leonda Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poorer health outcomes disproportionately impact racial/ethnically minoritized (e.g., Black Indigenous People of Color, or BIPOC) populations in the U.S. One plausible reason for the persistence of poorer health outcomes among this population is the teaching of racialized curricular content within academic health professions programs. This includes the absence of appropriate context through explicit socio-political curricular content (SPC) and critical pedagogy (i.e., social and structural determinants of health, history of racism in health care, social justice concepts; dialogue and reflective writing). Racialized curriculum is thought to initiate and/or exacerbate existing racial biases, cultural incompetence, and perpetuate dominant medical ideologies and myths …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Exercise-Stimulated Resolution Of Inflammation And Its Dietary Dependence., Ernesto H. Pena Calderin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diet-induced obesity and adipose tissue (AT) inflammation that ensues sets the stage for systemic metabolic inflammation, disrupted insulin signaling, and eventual type 2 diabetes (T2D) development. At the center of this pathology lies a disruption in endogenous inflammation resolution pathways characterized by an imbalance in lipid mediator production (greater abundance of pro-inflammatory to pro-resolving lipids). Additionally, obese states are characterized by adrenergic deficiency, especially in response to physical activity. Inflammatory processes have been experimentally mitigated by either the pharmacological inhibition of pro-inflammatory signals (i.e., Leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) and its receptor BLT1, which establishes a potent chemotactic stimulus …

Social Identity And Personhood At An Early Byzantine Cemetery: Late Antique Child Burials At Syedra, Turkiye., Mekenzie Riley Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bioarchaeological studies of children in the past have proliferated in recent years and illustrate the informational depths accessible through investigations of mortality, age, and health and disease. Alongside analyses of childhood stress and mortality, the mortuary treatment of children provides critical insight into the social structures and identity formation processes that individuals or groups are subject to in life. This thesis will investigate the intersections of childhood, gender and sex, space, and mortuary treatment as seen in a Byzantine cemetery comprised primarily of children at the site of Syedra, Türkiye through bioarchaeological and proteomic analysis. Specifically, it seeks to explore …

Synergistic Strategies In Hybrid Mxed Matrix 3d Printing Of Thermoplastics & Thermosets: Design, Manufacturing, And Materials Development., Saleh Akram Khanjar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Composite manufacturing and mixed matrix structures have been produced using traditional manufacturing processes for various industrial applications due to their high mechanical properties to material weight and cost ratio. However implementation of composite and mixed matrix manufacturing with advanced manufacturing such as additive manufacturing is limited due to the hardware limitations of current 3d printing technologies and materials available for 3D printing applications. This work has developed and investigated a new hybrid 3D printing manufacturing process utilizing a variety of material systems (thermoplastic – thermoset, thermoplastic – thermoplastic, thermoset – thermoset, thermoplastic – thermoplastic – thermoset). This study developed thermoplastic …

Figure Worlds: An Analysis Of The Untold Stories Of Female Teachers Of Color., Anetria B. Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Black female teachers in a large urban school district, focusing on how these experiences shape their identities, influence their professional practices, and affect their retention in the profession. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of teacher diversity, Black female teachers often encounter unique challenges, including systemic racism, microaggressions, and a lack of support and resources. Through a narrative inquiry approach, this study amplifies the voices of nine Black female teachers, uncovering their stories and the complexities of their professional lives. Guided by Critical Race Theory and the concept of figured worlds, this …

Understanding Barriers To Effective And Equitable Covid-19 Response Through The Evaluation Of Essential Needs Program In Jefferson County, Ky., Haritha Pallam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a multi-method study approach to assess the effectiveness of the Essential Needs Program (ENP), aimed at aiding priority groups in successfully completing isolation or quarantine (I/Q) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It commences with an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic's history and the role of ENP as a local emergency response strategy to mitigate community spread. Chaos and systems theories were employed to comprehensively understand disaster phenomena and factors influencing individual adoption of protective measures during the pandemic. Additionally, institutional decision-making models and implementation science were utilized to elucidate how public health stakeholders coordinated ENP services provision and …

Development And Processing Of Shape Memory Polymer Composites (Smpcs) For Application In Structural Robotics And Robotic Sensors., Kavish Sudan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) have attracted significant attention since their introduction in the 1980s due to their remarkable ability to regain their original shape from a temporarily deformed state when exposed to an external stimulus, typically heat. This shape memory effect, driven by thermal transitions such as the glass transition temperature (T_g) or melting temperature (T_m), has made SMPs highly attractive for applications in soft robotics, aerospace, and biomedical devices. However, SMPs face challenges such as limited mechanical strength, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity, which hinder their broader adoption in advanced applications. To address these challenges, …

Coproduction Revisited: From Theory To Practice., Brenton Clarke Hereford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coproduction, or the interaction of citizens with their public service provider, has been used in policy responses to a myriad of service delivery problems, especially policing. This dissertation uses a three-manuscript approach to revisit coproduction both as a theory and a practice. The first manuscript tracks the evolution of coproduction as a theory from three different disciplines: economics, urban theory, and public administration. In addressing the three disciplines, the manuscript explains what broadly united the coproduction literature and the differences that hindered the early development of the concept. It concludes with how the concept is used today, and how future …

Exploring Chronic Stress, Avoidance Coping, And Diurnal Cortisol In Head And Neck Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study Of Best Practices In Diurnal Cortisol Sampling., Brooks R. Harbison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chronic stress, especially those prone to avoidance coping. Research in the general population has linked these effects to aberrant diurnal cortisol. However, the current literature on cancer patients has shown inconsistent results in associations between chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol, possibly due to inconsistent cortisol sampling practices. This pilot study of head and neck cancer patients aimed to address this gap in the literature by implementing best cortisol sampling practices to investigate the links among chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol slope, average bedtime cortisol, and average wake …

Interpretation Models For Prostate Lesion: Detecting, Explaining, And Understanding., Mehmet Akif Gulum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is a major public health concern, affecting millions of men worldwide. While early detection and treatment of prostate cancer is critical for improving patient outcomes, the detection of prostate lesions is even more important for timely intervention and management of the disease. Prostate lesions are abnormal growths or lumps within the prostate gland, which may or may not be cancerous. The timely detection and accurate diagnosis of prostate lesions is crucial for effective treatment and management of the disease. In recent years, deep learning models have shown promise in accurately detecting and characterizing prostate lesions using advanced imaging …

Finding Aid Of The Emma Spencer Gooch Files/Mississippi Voter Registration And Education League, Yalobusha County, Mississippi Collection

Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids (alphabetical)

The Emma Spencer Gooch Files/Mississippi Voter Registration and Education League, Yalobusha County, Mississippi Collection contains membership lists and cards, meeting minutes, and a few pieces of correspondence related to African American voter registration in the 1960s and creation of the racially integrated Mississippi Democratic Party in 1970.