Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender, Interdisciplinarity And Global Food Crises, Marianna Khachaturyan, Ann Mari May, Gale Summerfield

Cornhusker Economics

Higher education plays a pivotal role in analyzing and offering potential solutions to the world’s problems, and seldom have the world’s economic and social problems appeared more critical. As the world’s population increases and faces the unpredictable effects of climate change and begins to come to terms with the possibility of peak oil and its implications, we face rising concerns about food security and global food crises.

As we work to address these growing concerns it is increasingly apparent that our research must be interdisciplinary in nature. Because women play critical roles in the supply and consumption of agricultural products, …

Satisfied Customers Are Not Good Enough, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

There used to be a time when all a business wanted were satisfied customers. Having satisfied customers was seen as the pinnacle of success. But today it appears that is not the case.

With everyone wanting to take their business to “the next level,” it is no surprise that businesses, especially in the service and sales area, are looking for new ways to take their satisfied customers and transform them into passionate advocates.

Use Of And Satisfaction With Home Broadband Service By Business Ownership, Rebecca J. Vogt, Charlotte Narjes, Connie Hancock

Cornhusker Economics

Technology is critical for businesses to remain competitive in this knowledge-based economy. Many businesses are home-based, making it necessary to have adequate Internet service at home. So how are business owners and farmers/ranchers currently using technology in their homes? Is their home Internet service meeting their needs?

The Nebraska Public Service Commission was awarded a grant from the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct a study of broadband use and needs in Nebraska. The University of Nebraska- Lincoln conducted the survey for the Commission. In addition, the Nebraska Information Technology Commission (NITC) Community Council and …

Pregnancy Loss And Distress Among U.S. Women, Karina M. Shreffler, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although pregnancy loss—especially miscarriage— is a relatively common experience among reproductive-aged women, much of our understanding about the experience has come from small clinic-based or other nonrepresentative samples. We compared fertility-specific distress among a national sample of 1,284 women who have ever experienced a stillbirth or miscarriage. We found that commitment/attachment to pregnancy that ended in loss as well as current childbearing contexts and attitudes were associated with distress following pregnancy loss. Practitioners working with women or couples who have experienced pregnancy loss should be aware of the importance of characteristics associated with higher distress, such as whether the pregnancy …

Infertility Treatment And Fertility-Specific Distress: A Longitudinal Analysis Of A Population-Based Sample Of U.S. Women, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Michele Lowry, Karina M. Shreffler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Because research on infertile women usually uses clinic-based samples of treatment seekers, it is difficult to sort out to what extent distress is the result of the condition of infertility itself and to what extent it is a consequence of the experience of infertility treatment. We use the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, a two-wave national probability sample of U.S. women, to disentangle the effects of infertility and infertility treatment on fertilityspecific distress. Using a series of ANOVAs, we examine 266 infertile women who experienced infertility both at Wave 1 and at Wave 2, three years later. We compare eight …

List Of Sources, Cresting Toward The Sea Change: Literature Review Of Cataloging And Classification, 2009-2010, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This list of sources is meant to accompany the literature review on cataloging and classification covering 2009 and 2010, “Cresting toward the Sea Change,” that is published in the April 2012 issue of Library Resources and Technical Services (volume 56, number 2). It contains citations to English-language journal articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, manuscripts, newsletter and magazine articles, selected news items, reference sources, text books, dissertations and theses, and one poster. Not cited are book reviews, blogs, blog posts, podcasts, videos, and presentation materials. Many more sources are listed here than were discussed in the literature review.

The citations …

What's Your Pitch? Explain Your Business In 30 Seconds (Or Less)!, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

This keynote presentation was designed to help entrepreneurs, small business owners and community leaders use the "High 5" Elevator Pitch developed by Connie Reimers-Hild, Ph.D. ([email protected]) to better sell themselves, their businesses and communities.

Simply Brilliant Science: Creating Healthier Eggs For A Healthier You, Kiyomi D. Deards

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Guest post on June 7, 2011, on the Scientific American Guest Blog, on eggs rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Foreign Land Investments And Traditional Land Ownership Rights In Africa, Kepifri Lakoh, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

This is the second in a series of three Cornhusker Economics articles on the institutions governing the ownership, use and transfer of agricultural land around the world. Last week, the focus was on the difficult transition from social to private land ownership in the countries of the Former Soviet Union. This week, the issue concerns the recent increase in land purchases in Africa by foreign governments and firms, referred to by some as a new colonial land grab.

Transboundary Water Issues In The Kura-Araks River Basin, Marianna Khachaturyan, Karina A. Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

Water resources that are shared across boundaries by different states or countries are referred to as “transboundary” or “international” water resources. Worldwide, there are about 263 international basins that are shared by two or more countries, with 40 percent of the world population living on these international basins (Giordano and Wolf, 2003). This is an increase from the 214 basins that were identified in 1978, due to better mapping technology and newly emerging nations. For example, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created 15 new independent nations and simultaneously created new transboundary water resources.

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Highlights 2010-2011, Bruce B. Johnson, Sara Van Newkirk, Tyler Rosener

Nebraska Farm Real Estate Reports

The Department of Agricultural Economics, UNL has conducted a state-wide study of agricultural land markets each year for the past 33 years. The state is richly endowed with productive agricultural land, which results in Nebraska ranking among the top five states in agricultural production. A primary aspect of the UNL land market series is an annual land market panel survey conducted February 1 of each year. In the 2011 survey, some 130 panel reporters from across the state provided their professional insight into the dynamics of the agricultural land markets in their areas of the state. These individuals are closely …

A Longitudinal Investigation Of Peer Victimization, Self-Esteem, Depression, And Anxiety Among Adolescents: A Test Of Cognitive Diathesis-Stress Theory, Cixin Wang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined the relationship between two types of peer victimization(overt and relational victimization), depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and selfesteem over three time points. Participants were 1171 fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders (623 females) recruited from four elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools in the Midwest. Students’ self-report on peer victimization, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and self-esteem was collected. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the relationship among those variables. The results showed that self-esteem mediated the relationship between two types of peer victimization and depressive symptoms. Self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship …

Race And Gender Differences And The Role Of Sexual Attitudes In Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Laura E. Simon

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Attitudes towards premarital sex have become more permissive in the past fifty years and adolescent sexual behavior reflects this attitudinal trend. The majority of adolescents are having sex prior to marriage and many adolescents are having sexual intercourse outside of committed relationships. Sexual behavioral trends vary by race and gender adding further intricacies in understanding adolescent sexuality. Past research examining adolescent sexual behavior has not examined the role of sexual attitudes in sexual behavior and the potential differences by race and gender. I draw on the Theory of Reasoned Action to further the understanding of the role of sexual attitudes …

Extending Intergroup Theorizing To The Instructional Context: Testing A Model Of Teacher Communication Behaviors, Credibility, Group-Based Categorization, And Instructional Outcomes, Angela Hosek

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

The purpose of this study was to determine how students’ (N =348) perceptions of teachers’ communication behaviors predicted the extent to which students believed they shared similar group-based categorizations with their teachers and how, if at all, these beliefs impacted instructional outcomes. This study was grounded in Social Identity Theory, the Common Ingroup Identity model, and Communication Accommodation Theory, which provided a foundation to examine the intergroup relations at work within the instructional context. Through structural equation modeling attitude homophily, background homophily, and global shared social identity and teacher credibility were examined as potential mediators between teacher communication behaviors …

National Agri-Marketing Association (Nama) Annual Conference Connects Student Members With Professionals, Kristin Witte, Rosalee A. Swartz

Cornhusker Economics

The opportunity to connect with professionals is an important aspect of college life for students. It helps them to more clearly understand career possibilities, and learn from professionals who are in careers and working for companies and organizations in the students’ areas of interest. The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is an outstanding venue for promoting connections between students and professionals. It is comprised of over 25 chapters in six regions nationwide, and has more than 3,500 professional and student members. Nebraska’s Midlands (professional) Chapter works closely with the University of Nebraska student chapter. Students are invited to monthly Midlands meetings …

Using Monte Carlo Simulations To Establish A New House Price Stress Test, James R. Follain, Seth H. Giertz

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

The focus of this paper is on the house price stress test (termed ALMO) that was designed to assess the fiscal strength of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and, if necessary, to trigger remedial action in order to avert a crisis. We assess whether the ALMO stress test was an adequate representation of an extremely weak housing market, given the best available information leading up to the Great Recession. A Monte Carlo simulation model is developed to estimate the severity of low probability events (i.e., severe house price declines). We illustrate the complexity and subjective nature of the process used …

Factors Controlling Pre-Columbian And Early Historic Maize Productivity In The American Southwest, Part 2: The Chaco Halo, Mesa Verde, Pajarito Plateau/ Bandelier, And Zuni Archaeological Regions, Larry Benson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Chemical and nutrient analyses of 471 soil samples from 161 sites within four archaeological regions (Pajarito Plateau/Bandelier, Zuni, Mesa Verde, and the Chaco Halo) were combined with historical climate data in order to evaluate the agricultural productivity of each region. In addition, maize productivity and field-life calculations were performed using organic-nitrogen (N) values from the upper 50 cm of soil in each region and a range (1–3%/year) of N-mineralization rates. The endmember values of this range were assumed representative of dry and wet climate states. With respect to precipitation and heat, the Pajarito Plateau area has excellent agricultural potential; the …

Property Rights In Post-Conflict Sri Lanka, Ryan P. Anderson, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

This is the third and final article in a series on property rights. In the previous two articles we saw how conflicts often emerge during the transition from one set of legal or social institutions to another. In this article we consider how such challenges helped spark a prolonged civil war in Sri Lanka, and how they might finally be resolved now that peace has been realized.

Land Reform And Farm Structure In The Former Soviet Union, Marianna Khachaturyan, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

Land is a critical input for agricultural production. At the same time, land has long been seen as a store of wealth, an asset that may be held for a wide range of purposes and that may account for a significant share of a nation’s resource stock. The way in which land is owned, used and transferred has varied over time and throughout the world. Laws and customs governing land ownership, use and transfer, are known as institutions, and are extremely important determinants of agricultural output. Insecurity of land ownership rights, for example, may reduce not only the incentive individual …

Leveraging You! Developing An Online Presence For The Job Search And Beyond, Bohyun Kim, Erin Dorney, Kiyomi D. Deards

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Learn how social media can help you develop and maintain a personal brand and professional reputation. Library and informations science (LIS) students can leverage these tools to successfully land a position, develop a support network, and participate in the conversation of librarianship. The session will include practical tips, recommended sites, and best practices.

Creative Commons, Public Domain, And Why You Should Care, Kiyomi D. Deards

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Guest post on the NUTech Ventures Blog on May 27, 2011, about digital copyright issues.

Functional Analysis Of Replacement Behavior: Assessing Concurrent Behavioral Excesses And Academic Deficits, Kristi L. Hofstadter-Duke

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation involved the application of functional analysis methodology to replacement behaviors (i.e., academic responding).  Participants were exposed to the typical school-based functional analysis conditions –  (a) teacher attention, (b) peer attention, and (c) escape –  in addition to a control condition; yet, replacement behavior (i.e., academic responding) was reinforced across conditions instead of problem behaviors.  Two functional analyses were conducted using identical contingencies while measuring condition impact on disruptive behavior, academic engagement, and academic performance (i.e., problems completed, digits correct).  Unknown math problems were used during the first functional analysis, and a second functional analysis incorporated antecedent instructional sessions, …

A Multilevel Examination Of Proactive Work Behaviors: Contextual And Individual Differences As Antecedents, Travis P. Searle

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this study, the process through which individual differences (i.e., proactive personality, psychological empowerment, and servant leader characteristics at level-1) and contextual differences (i.e., servant leadership characteristics at level-2) are antecedents to proactive work behaviors (i.e., problem prevention, individual innovation, voice, and taking charge) was tested. Results indicated that psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between proactive personality and individual innovation. Psychological empowerment fully mediated the relationship between proactive personality and taking charge. Proactive personality was indirectly related to problem prevention, via psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment was directly related to voice. In addition, servant leader characteristics at level-1 were positively …

The Efficacy Of Quality Care Initiative Implementation In Nursing Homes Measured By Client Satisfaction, Deanna G. Aguilar

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Converting the nursing home institutional model to a model of person-centered care for the purpose of improving nursing home quality has gained interest since the Omnibus Reconciliation Act was passed by the Federal Government in 1987.   In the past, emphasis on providing a safe and healthy environment made it challenging to create a home-like environment for residents.  Recently, however, several design initiatives have emerged radically changing the culture of the traditional nursing home to one focused on person-centered care designed creating a home-like environment and increasing the quality of life of residents.  Three such initiatives were examined in the present …

Comparing Texts Of The Okmulgee Constitution: Fourteen Instrument Versions And Levenshtein’S Edit Distance Metric, Charles D. Bernholz

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

In 1870, the Five Civilized and other tribes within the Indian Territory initiated a series of council meetings to deal with seven federal stipulations presented at Fort Smith in 1865 and with new treaties established in 1866. One development was the so-called December 1870 Okmulgee Constitution, fashioned in the Creek capital, that provided a model for a new full-fledged Indian state to replace the Territory. Various versions of the text of that document (and of a revised rendition) were published, as part of the official and unofficial record of the sequence of proceedings. This study examined fourteen variants of …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Malaria In Paraguay, Nicole M. Wayant

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that has afflicted humans for thousands of years. Today it is considered a re-emerging disease. Malaria is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The disease has been linked to several environmental parameters, including precipitation, temperature, and deforestation. However, these relationships have mainly been studied in Africa and have not been explored in other parts of the world. The study area for this thesis was the South American country of Paraguay.

Paraguay has experienced an oscillation in malaria cases over the past 20 years, with monthly cases ranging from 0 to 1,200. …

Recetario De Productos Elaborados A Base De Sorgo (Sorghum Bicolor, L. Moench), Kimberly Christiansen

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

El Centro Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA), “Enrique Álvarez Córdova”, a través del Laboratorio de Tecnología de Alimentos, ha venido desarrollando por más de una década, investigaciones relacionadas al uso de sorgo en la alimentación humana, con la colaboración del instituto para la investigación en Sorgo y Mijo de los Estados Unidos de América (INTSORMIL). A partir del año 2000, las investigaciones en el cultivo del sorgo han tomado más auge, por lo que el Programa de Granos Básicos, como apoyo al trabajo que realiza el Laboratorio de Tecnología de Alimentos, ha desarrollado una serie de variedades mejoradas, …

The Disability Screening Process And The Labor Market Behavior Of Accepted And Rejected Applicants: Evidence From The Health And Retirement Study, Seth H. Giertz, Jeffrey D. Kubik

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper uses Social Security earnings records linked to data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the labor market behavior of rejected and accepted disability applicants prior to their application. We find that rejected applicants have substantially lower earnings and labor force participation rates during the decade prior to application than beneficiaries. Also, we find some evidence of a divergence between these groups, with rejected applicants leaving the labor force at a faster rate than beneficiaries as their application date approaches.  One interpretation of these results is that the disability screening process on average separates those who are …

The Aputu: An Examination And Analysis Of A War Club-Form Distinctive To The Guianas, Donald Arp Jr.

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This work examines a type of war club unique to South America and to the area of the three Guianas. The so-called block war club of the Guianas, often noted in the memoirs of explorers and soldiers in the New World, has received little academic attention. Mining firsthand accounts and what little academic attention has been focused on the clubs, this paper examines a set of clubs from the Heye Foundation Collection now housed in the National Museum of the American Indian. This thesis seeks to classify the block type club as the flared quadrilateral club, which is a more …

Creating An Environmental Placed Based Education At Norris Elementary, Ben Kittrell

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study is focused on creating a place based education program. Place based education programs provide many benefits at the personal level with the students (PBEEC). The study was completed at Norris Elementary School where the students have access to the “Norris Forest” which is a planted forest with a walk way through the trees. Some of the trees are labeled for the students to identify and others are not. A graph of the unlabelled trees has been included for the students or the teachers to use.

This project incorporates activities that will engage the students in order to teach …