Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Electrocardiogram To Evaluate Welfare Of Laying Hens And Chicks During Different Life Stages And Events, Ashley Elizabeth Bigge

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

Three separate studies were conducted to evaluate the welfare of laying hens and chicks during different life stages. The stress responses of mature laying hens in two different scenarios were also investigated. All three studies utilized the electrocardiogram (ECG) as the chosen tool for data collection. Study 1 examined the startle response, prompted by an acute stressor that created sudden movement and noise, in White and Brown Leghorn hens housed in either cages or aviaries. The presence of a chronic stressor, a 23-hour feed failure, was also assessed as a factor. These hens had been surgically implanted with wireless ECG …

"Maybe Something More Insidious": A Critical Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Authentic Leadership In Student Affairs Leaders With Intersecting Minoritized Identities, Kara Brant

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

This critical interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the experiences of four female-identified mid-level student affairs leaders with intersecting minoritized identities, highlighting the aspirational nature of authentic leadership theory. The study examined their experiences with relational transparency, or attempting to lead while presenting their authentic self without distortion and minimizing the display of inappropriate emotions. The findings indicated participants face complex dynamics when navigating daily interactions in student affairs work, often resulting in the performance of emotional labor. The exploration of their experiences outlines a case for why scholars must look to advancing a new, more inclusive definition of authentic leadership theory. …

Volunteering For Medically Underserved Children: Clinic With A Heart–Back-To-School Clinics, Isabella Marie Kerby Kessinger

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Medically underserved children, often from low-income families or areas with limited healthcare resources, face significant barriers in accessing essential medical services and represent a fundamental challenge to equity and social justice. School physicals and back-to-school clinics play a crucial role in addressing these healthcare needs, serving as a gateway to educational and extracurricular opportunities.

Clinic With a Heart (CWH), a non-profit medical and dental clinic in Lincoln, Nebraska, serves as a model for addressing healthcare disparities. In 2023, CWH provided 3,109 visits to 1,846 unique patients, with 83% lacking health insurance and 63% having household incomes below $16,000 annually. The …

Examining Factors Of Variance In Energy Metabolism Of Dairy Cattle, Addison Lee Carroll

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

Variation is thought to occur in the use of dietary energy for production in dairy cattle. First, variance can be observed when new methane mitigation strategies are fed resulting in increased H₂ output potentially resulting in downstream effects on estimates heat production via the Brouwer (1965) equation. Therefore, in chapter 3 a review was created to systematically describe the mathematics and theory behind the Brouwer equation, and rederive a heat production equation to integrate H₂ production. Results indicate heat production using the classical Brouwer equation (1965) relative to the rederived equation resulted in an overestimation of heat production …

Mining Work Items To Streamline Software Maintenance Tasks, Salomé Perez-Rosero

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

Software engineering maintenance tasks often require associating code changes into groupings of related units of work to have as much information as possible about the developments toward addressing a specific code task. A comprehensive understanding of how a code task has evolved helps developers make better decisions about changes in the overall codebase, where a commit represents the set of code changes made to the codebase at a specific time. While the concept of work items as logically related code changes has been primarily theoretical, its impact on software maintenance tasks, such as tracing the origins of bugs or fixes …

Nitrogen Limitation In Soybean: Physiology And Diagnosis, Luzviminda Ann Ramos Sazon

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

In high-yield soybean environments, the seed yield is limited by nitrogen (N) supply. However, the response of soybean to N fertilizer application is inconsistent. Understanding the seasonal N uptake dynamics in soybean can provide insights on diagnosing N limitation if soybean. To understand soybean N dynamics, we assessed seasonal trends on dry matter and N accumulation in vegetative organs (leaves, stems, and petioles) from 42 field experiments. Each experiment included a ‘zero-N’ treatment, where crops relied on N supply from soil and biological N fixation (BNF), and a ‘full-N’ that received ample N via N fertilizer addition. Vegetative storage proteins …

Exploring Mindfulness Within Leadership Development: A Phenomenological Study, Amardeep Kaur

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

Leadership is a key to success in a complex, rapidly changing world. While scholarly and organizational interest in mindfulness is growing within the leadership and leadership development space, it remains largely unexplored from the leader's perspective. This phenomenological study explored how leaders perceived and described their mindfulness experiences within their leadership development. This exploratory research used a transcendental phenomenological approach (Moustakas, 1994) to capture their self-expression through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Day's (2000) conceptual framework on leader and leadership development guided the study. The participants were recruited from organizations based in the U.S. that offer mindfulness-based programs, snowball sampling techniques, and …

Motivated By Hope: Why We Strive For The Improbable, Varkey K. Titus Jr.

Department of Philosophy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Some of the most rewarding actions we take in life are difficult. The outcomes of these actions are surrounded by uncertainty, and what relevant data is available indicates a high probability of failure. Current philosophical work proposes that hope can resolve the puzzle of how people can rationally choose to engage in difficult actions, but this work constrains hope’s motivational role to actions whose successful outcomes reside within the realm of an individual’s own agency. I expand the explanatory role of hope motivating action to include cases whose outcomes depend on some combination of factors internal and external to the …

Social Patterns In Physical Infrastructure: Associations Between Socioeconomic Status And Walkability, Kaylee Coursey

Honors Theses

Studies analyzing the relationship between socioeconomic status and physical infrastructure of a city are inconsistent in findings but agree on racial and class disparities. Utilizing walkability (Walk Score) as a measurement for physical infrastructure, this thesis aims to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status and the walkability of a city. The Socio-Ecological framework suggests that environmental experiences are correlated with the social functioning of a community. Thus, socioeconomic status has a significant impact on the quality of one’s built environment.

Using housing data from the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) and Walk Score, a series of quantitative analyses were conducted …

Code Blue: How Police And Health Care Providers Disrupt Healing For Violently Injured Black Men, Cherrell Green

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

While Black males are disproportionately impacted by gun homicide, they are also grossly impacted by non-fatal shootings. The impact of gun violence extends far beyond the immediate physical harm inflicted by bullets; this harm can permeate and disrupt personal relationships, create lasting psychological distress, and undermine a sense of safety within communities. However, the needs of injured Black men are often overlooked in public discourse. Despite the prevalence of these traumatic experiences in the lives of low-income Black men, their response to trauma is often treated as pathology, with fewer resources devoted to addressing the adverse consequences associated with these …

California Threats And Harassment Initiative: A Literature Review Contextualizing The Environment Of Threats And Harassment Of Local Elected Officials In The United States Between 2013 And 2024, Ioli Filmeridis, Rachel Hodel, Thomas Oliver

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Given the attention dedicated to violence targeted against national figures and representatives, this literature review focuses on the less prominent, but nonetheless critical, issue of threats and harassment directed at locally elected officials. In particular, it considers school board officials, members of city councils, community college boards, elected sheriffs, city and district attorneys and mayors in Southern California as well as across the United States. It draws on traditional media coverage, academic and think tank discussions of the scope of threats and harassment faced by local officials, the drivers of threatening and harassing behavior, and their impact on local officials …

Beyond Borders: Confronting Transnational Violence Against Black Migrants, Nana Afua Yeboaa Brantuo

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Beyond Borders: Confronting Transnational Violence Against Black Migrants explores the systemic violence and exclusion faced by Black migrants throughout their migration journey, with a focus on the U.S. immigration system. Synthesizing literature, data, and expert interviews, the paper highlights the intersecting forms of violence—political, community, racial, and gender-based—that Black migrants experience before, during, and after migration. The paper emphasizes how structural racism, anti-Blackness, and inadequate legal protections contribute to the compounded vulnerabilities of Black migrants. It calls for comprehensive policy interventions, including trauma-informed care, policy and legal system transformations, and community-based support, to address these multifaceted challenges and promote a …

Exploring The Pathway Of Far-Right Radicalization In The Age Of Neoliberalism, Biko Koenig

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This paper examines the complex relationship between young white men and the rise of far-right extremism in contemporary American politics, particularly in the context of the MAGA movement and its implications for political violence. The January 6th riot serves as a stark example of how mainstream political affiliations can rapidly devolve into radicalization, as evidenced by the profiles of participants who often lacked formal ties to extremist groups yet shared a commitment to conspiracy-laden narratives and grievances. By framing these shifts within the broader socio-economic landscape marked by neoliberal decay, I explore how feelings of inequality, alienation, and powerlessness serve …

Discrimination Against Wayuu Women As A System Of Collective Violence Against The Wayuu Indigenous People In Venezuela And Colombia / Errata Wayuumuin Sumuin Tu’ Wayuu Jiertkaa Jutuma’A Milia’An Jauhtu’U Jumaika’A Heka Jumana’A Tuu Wuomain Eh Venezuerraka Musia Colompianaka, Dayanna Palmar Uriana

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

I wanted to shed light on the situation of Indigenous women in Colombia and Venezuela, focusing specifically on the situation of Wayuu women living in the northern border of both countries. The identity of an Indigenous woman carries a dual burden—defined by both gender and ethnicity—that determines living conditions and access to rights within a worldview rooted in a collective sense of belonging to an Indigenous people. As a Wayuu Indigenous woman and a human rights researcher, my objective was to identify forms of discrimination by listening to Wayuu women in the territories of both countries. This approach allowed us …

Comparative Analysis Of Household Food And Nutrition Security In Selected Philippine Urban And Rural Households During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jay-Al Reyes, Julieta Delosreyes

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study analyzed the food and nutrition security of selected urban and rural households in Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It determined the prevalence of food insecurity among the selected urban and rural households, analyzed the determinants of food insecurity in these households, determined the prevalence of malnutrition, and assessed the relationship between the households’ food security and nutrition security. Primary data from a survey of 185 urban and rural households and secondary data from the Electronic Operation Timbang Plus (e-OPT) Tool were used to determine the prevalence of food insecurity using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale …

Bioactivity And Synergism Of Tagpo (Ardisia Tomentosa) Molluscicidal Extracts, Darwin C. Gomez, Grechelle Socias, Rosemarie Galanza, Florlyn C. Gayas Ma., Fe T. Piedad, Brian John Sarno

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Population control of golden apple snails (GAS, Pomacea canaliculata) is beneficial in rice farming; however, the associated control measures can be expensive and time-consuming. Currently, farmers use synthetic molluscicides such as niclosamide to control GAS infestation, but this has some drawbacks. For example, niclosamide has broad toxicity to non-target organisms and negatively affects the growth of rice seedlings. Plant extracts with potent bioactivity and low toxicity to non-target organisms are attractive alternatives to synthetic molluscicides. In this study, the bioactivity of the crude fruit extract of tagpo (Ardisia tomentosa) was assessed against GAS and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fries. The potential …

Effects Of Culture Media And Duration On In Vitro Maturation And Production Of Cỏ Goat Embryos, Van Khanh Nguyen, Huong Thi Thu Vu, Au Thi Hoang, Yen Thi Kim Pham, Dat Van Le, Lan Anh Thi Nguyen, Huu Xuan Quan, Lan Doan Pham

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of maturation media and duration on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of Cỏ goat oocytes for the in vitro production of Cỏ goat embryos. In Experiment 1, the highest percentage of matured oocytes and blastocyst rates were observed in the IVM medium consisting of tissue culture medium (TCM) 199 + 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) + 50 ng/mL follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) + 100 μM cysteamine + 10 ng/mL epidermal growth factor (EGF) + 100 units/mL penicillin G potassium + 0.1 mg/mL streptomycin sulphate (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, Cỏ goat oocytes were cultured in the same IVM medium for 20, 22, and 24 h, respectively. The matured oocyte and blastocyst rates of the 20-h group were lower than those of the 22- and 24-h groups (61.56% vs. 76.81% and 73.48%; 13.76% vs. 24.75% and 24.72% respectively; P < 0.05), while there was no difference between the 22- and 24-h groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the TCM 199 medium supplemented …

Navigating The Fine Line: The Role Of Literature As Reflection And Political Commentary, Paul Hong

KAUPA Letters

This article examines the balance between literature and political commentary through the works of Han Kang, particularly The Vegetarian, Human Acts, and The White Book, which explore themes of trauma and societal constraints. It explores the rich tradition of Korean literature and the complex role of the U.S. in shaping Korea's modern history. Additionally, it draws comparisons with authors like Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, and Jean-Paul Sartre, discussing how literature reflects political realities while focusing on universal human struggles.

Application Of Prompt Engineering Technologies Toward Seamless Cybersecurity Breaches Response Process, Young B. Choi

KAUPA Letters

In the rapidly evolving landscape of Cybersecurity, the detection and response to breaches is a critical challenge. Prompt engineering, a technique in natural language processing (NLP), has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to enhance cybersecurity measures. This paper explores the application of prompt engineering in the context of cybersecurity, focusing on its role in the responding process to breaches using GPT-4o capabilities. We will examine how prompt engineering can improve threat intelligence, automate incident response, and augment human decision-making processes.

“A Frail Wish On Human Morality” Versus “A Life-And-Death Question For Humanity”, Yeomin Yoon

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

Kaupa Letters: Volume 12, Issue 2, Korean American University Professors Association

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

Economical Acquisition Of Intersection Data To Facilitate Cav Operations Phase Ii – Implementation, Manish Gowda, Walt Fehr, Andrew Balmos, Richard Ajagu, David Hong, James Krogmeier, Montasir Abbas, Samuel Labi

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation

Cost-effective collection and distribution of intersection data are needed to facilitate traffic operations at intersections in the HDV era and particularly, in the prospective era of CAVs. Existing methods are time consuming and costly. Phase I of this research (executed under CCAT Project Nr. 71) developed a cost-effective intersection data collection and distribution device for this purpose. In Phase II of this research, the device prototype was bench tested in Lansing and field tested at Owosso. It was confirmed that the device successfully facilitates SPaT and MAP data collection and dissimulation to mobile devices. These deployments provided evidence that the …

An Unintentional Realist: Rural Poverty In Harold Bell Wright’S Ozarks Novels, John J. Han

KAUPA Letters

This paper explores the theme of rural poverty in Harold Bell Wright’s Ozarks novels, a topic often overlooked due to the romantic, Arcadian lens through which Wright portrays the region. Despite his idealized depictions of simple, spiritually fulfilling rural life, Wright’s personal experiences with poverty and his observations of Ozarks life offer valuable insights into the economic deprivation and isolation of the area. The analysis focuses on The Shepherd of the Hills, The Re-Creation of Brian Kent, and Ma Cinderella, examining how Wright portrays rural poverty, the self-sufficiency of Ozark natives, and the effects of poverty on their lives. While …

Leveraging Ai Tools In University Writing Instruction: Enhancing Student Success While Upholding Academic Integrity, Daisuke Akiba, Rebecca Garte

Publications and Research

The emergence of AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, presents both opportunities and challenges for higher education, particularly regarding academic integrity in writing instruction. This exploratory study examines a novel pedagogical approach that integrates LLMs as required feedback tools in a university-level psychology writing assignment. The exclusive online approach emphasizes improvement through revision, requiring students to obtain AI-generated feedback on ungraded initial drafts based on an instructor-provided rubric, with final assessment focused on the quality of subsequent revisions. Analysis of survey data from 39 undergraduate students, incorporating both quantitative measures and qualitative responses, revealed several …

Patterns In Gray Wolf Pup Survival And Recruitment In Northern Minnesota, Andrea Hynes

All NMU Master's Theses

Knowledge of how and why the vital rates of wildlife populations change through and over time is crucial for understanding wildlife population dynamics. Because estimating gray wolf pup survival is challenging, our understanding of pup survival and the factors influencing survival and recruitment is limited. I used a combination of litter counts and video observations from a large remote camera array to estimate annual wolf pup survival and recruitment and to evaluate intra-annual patterns in pup survival and recruitment within the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem, MN, USA. Mean annual pup survival during 2019–2023 was 0.24, and the mean annual recruitment rate …

Cutting Mechanisms And Control Systems Required For Precision Cutting With An Autonomous Lettuce Harvester, Aidan V. Fischer

Master's Theses

43% of California’s vast land is consumed for agricultural production to feed the United States and other nations Lettuce production alone brought in over $3 billion in 2022 in California. Most of the lettuce today is still harvested by hand using large groups of seasonal laborers; however, this has become increasingly difficult with an immigrant labor shortage. The objective of this study was to design a low-cost autonomous lettuce harvester prototype and evaluate the performance of the harvester capable of harvesting romaine lettuce preciously on a raised bed.

The harvester is equipped with an electrohydraulic control system that is used …

Strategizing Holidays: The Art Of Meaningful Togetherness, Paul Hong

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

Pacific Rxtracts - December 2024, Pacific Rxtracts

Pacific RxTracts

Articles

• Attruby: A Promising Treatment for Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy
• Triple Threat: GMRx2, An Emerging Low-Dose Triple Pill For Hypertension
• New Treatment for Hemophilia A or B
• Breaking the Placebo Barrier: FDA Review Challenges Effectiveness of Popular Decongestant
• Exploring Bempedoic Acid: Potential Benefits for Statin-Intolerant Patients and Liver Health
• The Flu Vaccine: Meeting You Where You Are
• Unique Application of Statins for Radiotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity
• One Shot, Two Solutions: How Semaglutide Combats Obesity and Knee Osteoarthritis

Geochemical Evidence Of Drying During The 4.2 Ka Event In Sediment Cores From The Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, Derek K. Gibson, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Alex Correa-Metrio, Alejandra Rodriguez-Abaunza, Carlos Castañeda-Posadas

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tropical hydroclimate variability during the Middle and Late Holocene was investigated using geochemical indicators of local-scale precipitation and evaporation preserved in sediment cores from two sites in the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula. Scanning X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy data show generally decreasing precipitation trends during the Early and Middle Holocene. During the transition between the Middle and Late Holocene, geochemical evidence of reduced watershed erosion and increased evaporation indicate that a centennial-scale drying event impacted the region between 4.3 and 4.0 ka (kilo-anum; thousand years before present). These findings suggest that the 4.2 ka drying event, which has been previously recorded in Europe, …

Decoding Emotions: Unveiling Facial Expressions Through Acoustic Sensing With Contrastive Attention, Guangjing Wang, Juexing Wang, Ce Zhou, Weikang Ding, Huacheng Zeng, Tianxing Li, Qiben Yan

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Expression recognition holds great promise for applications such as content recommendation and mental healthcare by accurately detecting users’ emotional states. Traditional methods often rely on cameras or wearable sensors, which raise privacy concerns and add extra device burdens. In addition, existing acoustic-based methods struggle to maintain satisfactory performance when there is a distribution shift between the training dataset and the inference dataset. In this paper, we introduce FacER+, an active acoustic facial expression recognition system, which eliminates the requirement for external microphone arrays. FacER+ extracts facial expression features by analyzing the echoes of near-ultrasound signals emitted between the 3D facial …