University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Scientists have shown a relationship between climate conditions and social unrest, specifically related to temperature and precipitation trends. Though deviations from historically normative patterns are becoming more pronounced, it remains unclear how or to what extent they might be linked to protests. Similarly, we know little about the extent to which the relationships between local climate anomalies and protests are contemporaneous versus lagged. To address these questions, we examine correlates of local protest levels between 1995 and 2013 in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Our innovative methodology involves modeling geocoded, media-reported protests (derived from the Integrated Crisis Early Warning System) at 0.5° × 0.5° geospatial resolution, using unobtrusive, satellite-derived data on temperature and precipitation patterns and historical deviations. We also integrate comparable satellite data on nightlight pollution. Properties of our outcome variable require negative binomial regression analysis. We find that net of controls gauging local and country-level social, political, and economic dynamics, temperatures, and precipitation are related to protests in unexpected ways: In any given year and location, protests are strongly, positively associated with heavy precipitation and with higher temperature levels. Protests are also strongly, positively associated with historical deviations in climate patterns, especially anomalies related to both wetness and dryness. Such historically aberrant precipitation has pronounced curvilinear, lagged effects on protest levels. We situate these complex findings using classic, structurally based arguments grounded in social science theory. Significance Statement This study examines the connection between local climate conditions and protests in South Asia over time (1995–2013). South Asia is home to India, the world’s most populous country. As a region, it is highly vulnerable to climate change and the way it affects people and societies. We find that high temperatures and heavy rainfall associated with “bad weather” partly explain local protest levels. However, when and where protests occur also reflects historically abnormal temperatures and the presence/absence of rainfall, which points to the links between climate extremes and social instability, especially in the long term. The innovative data sources we use help improve both social science and climate science modeling. Future work should examine if these protest patterns exist globally.

A compelled disclosure mandatory reporting policy approach requires all or nearly all university employees to report any sexual assault they learn about to university officials, regardless of the victim/survivor's wishes. Although rare, some universities have implemented policies that require the victim/survivor's consent to the report (i.e., consented disclosure ). This mixed method study examined support for a compelled disclosure versus consented disclosure policy approach in a sample of college students ( n = 640) and non‐student adults ( n = 405). Quantitative data examined whether sexual victimization and trust in university response to sexual assault reports were associated with policy preference. Qualitative data examined participants’ explanations for their policy preference. Most participants preferred consented over compelled disclosure , and college students and those with less trust in university response to reports were especially likely to support consented disclosure . Reasons for supporting consented disclosure predominantly centered on survivors, focusing on the importance of survivor choice and wellbeing. Those who supported compelled disclosure predominantly focused on individuals other than the survivor (e.g., the perpetrator, other students), personal beliefs about crime and punishment, and assumptions about the benefits of compelled disclosure . Findings highlight the importance of including a greater diversity of perspectives in mandatory reporting policy development.

The development and application of biopesticides are governed by complex legal frameworks designed to ensure their safety, efficacy, and minimal environmental impact. Biopesticides, which include microbial agents, biochemical substances, and plant-incorporated protectants, provide sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical pesticides by targeting pests and reducing harm to nontarget organisms and ecosystems. Effective regulatory frameworks are vital for balancing the advantages and potential risks of biopesticides. These frameworks involve stringent safety and efficacy standards, ensuring that biopesticides are both effective for pest control and safe for human health and the environment. Various global regulatory bodies, such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as well as national agencies in Canada, India, Japan, and Australia, have distinct legislation and processes for approving and monitoring biopesticides. Regulatory challenges include addressing data gaps, performing thorough environmental risk assessments, and adapting to advancements in biopesticide technology. Harmonizing standards across regions can enhance international trade and adoption while addressing regional variations in data requirements and approval procedures. Emerging trends suggest advancements in biopesticide technology, including innovative formulations and genetic modifications, which could improve their effectiveness and reduce their environmental impacts. Ethical issues, such as the potential effects on nontarget organisms and the necessity for public education, are crucial for the development and use of biopesticides. A comprehensive approach involving strict regulations, international collaboration, and public engagement is essential to advance the sustainable and equitable use of biopesticides in modern agriculture.

We study an integro-difference model for a pest population that is divided into four life stages. In the model, spatial spread of the population is described by an integral convolution and pest control is applied to each population stage. When the spatial domain is infinite, we establish the spreading speeds and existence of traveling waves; when the spatial domain is finite, we first establish threshold conditions in terms of the principal eigenvalue of an associated eigenvalue problem to determine population persistence and extinction, and then define the net reproductive rate and use it to develop equivalent threshold conditions for persistence and extinction. The cases where the reproduction function is monotone and where it is nonmonotone are both investigated. Numerical simulations show that the larger the control effectiveness is the easier to eradicate the pest population and that the same control effectiveness on different stages may yield different population dynamics in the long-term.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a major greenhouse gas and its emissions from soil are largely driven by fertilizer nitrogen (N). Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an economically important crop; however, there are limited studies reporting N2O emissions in beet as affected by N fertilization. The 2‐year (2022–2023) experiment was conducted in Nebraska, to evaluate the effects of different N rates on beet root yield, estimated recoverable sugar (ERS), N2O emissions, and emission factors (EFs). The N treatments were 0%, 50%, 80%, 100%, and 125% (also, 150% in 2023) of the current University of Nebraska recommended N rates based on yield goal and spring soil test N. In 2023, the treatments at ≥80% of recommended N had higher root yield and ERS than the control. Daily N2O fluxes increased exponentially during the first 3–4 weeks of fertilizer application. Cumulative N2O emissions increased linearly with N rates in both years. Emissions were at least 50% greater in 2023 than in 2022, most likely driven by higher soil moisture in 2023. The EF calculated based on applied N rates (EF_N) was 0.87% and 1.48% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Fertilizer‐induced EF (EF_fert) was 0.71% and 1.32% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The average annual EF_fert (1.02%) was very close to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default EF of 1%, suggesting that the default EF could reasonably estimate emissions from understudied crops such as irrigated sugar beet.

Using the spoon scene from the Warner Brothers 1999 release, The Matrix, written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowskis, this tribute to Tim Murray’s career in archaeology investigates alternatives to settlement pattern models derived from ethnographic observations of hunter-gatherers. Like Neo in The Matrix, it is necessary to learn to look beyond the morphology of individual artifacts to interpret archaeological patterns. A solid geometry measure is used to analyze stone artifacts, and the results are compared to those obtained using agent-based simulation. Using a case study from Rutherfords Creek, western New South Wales, Australia, we consider alternatives to current settlement pattern-based interpretations of stone artifacts, focusing on patterns that emerge through time and across space rather than functional explanations based on artifact and site types.

Context Individuals after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) participate in less physical activity compared to uninjured peers. Physical activity in this population is important for both short and long-term health, particularly to reduce the risk of chronic conditions (eg, obesity, osteoarthritis). Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a walking program early after ACLR. Design Explanatory Mixed Methods Study Setting Telehealth Patients or Other Participants Ten individuals (60% female, mean age 20.2 ± 3.9 years old, mean BMI 22.6 ± 2.9 kg/m2 ) within 8 weeks of a unilateral ACLR Intervention A 12-week personalized progressive walking program to increase daily steps utilizing weekly virtual visits with a physical therapist. Main Outcome Measures Quantitative data included rates of appointment attendance, activity monitor wear compliance, adverse events, and achievement of daily step goals. Qualitative analysis of field notebooks collected throughout the intervention and semi-structured post intervention interviews were performed to explain the quantitative feasibility metrics using a case study approach. Results Participants wore their activity monitor 92.3% of days, attended 94.2% of appointments, met their recommended physical activity goal 54.8% of days, and 50% of individuals reached their physical activity target at least 50% of weeks. No adverse events related to the walking program were reported. Program-level and participant-level themes that promoted successful physical activity goal achievement were identified. Conclusions This study demonstrated mixed feasibility and acceptability of a progressive walking program early after ACLR. Participants demonstrated high adherence to wearing an activity monitor and completing weekly virtual physical activity program sessions. However, daily physical activity goals were only met approximately half of the time. Clinicians and researchers can use the themes identified from the qualitative analysis in future program designs to promote physical activity after ACLR.

The energy-based dual-phase dynamics identification (EDDI) method is a new data-driven technique for the discovery of equations of motion (EOMs) of strongly nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) oscillators. This research uses the EDDI method to obtain mathematical models for SDOF systems with clearance nonlinearities. The first key aspect of the EDDI method is that it relates the kinetic energy of the system to the dissipated energy and the underlying non-conservative forces acting on the oscillator. The second key aspect is that the EOM is identified with only knowledge of the mass of the oscillator and the transient response. The first phase of the EDDI method constructs the dissipated energy from the kinetic energy, then identifies a mathematical model for the damping based on the dissipated energy. To achieve this, the moments in time when the displacements are zero, where the mechanical and kinetic energies are equal, are used to compute the energy dissipated by the damping of the system. The second phase begins by computing the conservative force acting on the oscillator from either a balance of the other forces in the system or through the Lagrange equation. Finally, the stiffness model is determined by solving a set of linear equations to construct a mathematical model for the conservative (elastic) force. The governing equations are discovered by incorporating both the damping and stiffness terms. The method is demonstrated by employing analytical and real measured responses of nonlinear SDOF systems with different clearances nonlinearities, which shows that the proposed approach is suitable for non-smooth mechanical systems as well as smooth systems.

This article tracks how an 1846 serial, Wilfred Montressor; Or, The Secret Order of the Seven , and its illustrations, produced by and for members of the fraternal order of the Odd-Fellows, and its subsequent reprintings, including an 1855 edition by a German-language newspaper publisher in the United States, led to the creation of a hero with ties to both nativism and working-class solidarity. The serial’s author, Park Benjamin, had pioneered the pirating of British and European novels in the U. S. in his newspaper the New World . Benjamin adapted the city mystery genre for the New York Odd-Fellows’ newspaper, defending secret associations as necessary in a city where criminal and economic systems are ineffective if not corrupt. But Tompkins Matteson’s nearly 100 illustrations invited the youthful, Protestant, artisanal, and male subscribers to the weekly Golden Rule to project themselves into New York’s high and low life. Matteson’s illustrations of novel readers may have condemned their absorption in fantasy, but his pictures in the serial created seductive objects of desire that crossed ethnic and gender boundaries. Later, as a cheap novel, the illustrations and the text were both ordered more conventionally, while the fraternal image of manhood, one that attracted Germans and native-born, survived.

Schools in the United States have experienced an increase in student classroom behavioral issues and mental health struggles since the COVID- 19 pandemic. Educators who remained in the teaching profession through the pandemic possess valuable insights into the techniques used to address the increased emotional and behavioral needs of students both during and after the pandemic. The current study used multiple methods to explore the challenges faced by upper elementary and middle school teachers, as well as solutions and techniques these teachers found helpful. The study also examined teacher ratings of school climate and social and emotional learning (SEL). Electronic surveys on school climate and SEL were collected from 109 teachers across the United States. Teacher ratings were compared based on grade level (i.e., upper elementary, middle) and school location (i.e., metropolitan, non-metropolitan). Online focus groups, using a nominal group technique, were also conducted with 50 of the teachers. Results showed that teachers identified a lack of time, resources, and support to address the increased academic and behavioral needs of students. Teachers also shared strategies to improve teacher–student relationships, student socialization and motivation, and parent engagement. Implications for practice, recommendations for future research, and considerations for teacher development are discussed.

We compute corrections for sedentary behavior in physical activity levels (PALs) and incorporate them along with corrections for over estimation of basal metabolic rates (BMRs) into threshold caloric intakes, known as minimum dietary energy requirements (MDERs). Using these modified MDERs, we compute new estimates of food insecure populations using USDA‐ERS International Food Security Assessment (IFSA) model for the 83 countries covered by IFSA for 2023. We compute moderate upward biases in MDERs due to sedentarism of 3.52% or 57.49 kcal a day (population‐weighted) average, leading to a (pop.‐weighted) average 1720 caloric MDER, which translate to large reductions in the estimate of food insecure population of 71.3 million in the IFSA model. With both BMR and PAL corrections, the MDER falls to 1638 kcal on average (pop.‐weighted) and the food insecure population estimate falls by 173.6 million. Relative to ERS' 2100‐calorie threshold predicting 1.056 billion food‐insecure, these corrections would be inflated by 538 million people to 609.4 and 711.7 million reductions. Robustness checks using a lognormal distribution approach with FAO data confirm similar large responses of food‐insecure population estimates to the MDER corrections for the same countries. Beyond the correction for systematic upward bias, estimating more precise MDERs will lead to more precise food‐insecure estimates.

For many trematode species, individual reproductive parthenitae in first intermediate host colonies senesce, die, and are replaced by newly born parthenitae. The times involved in these processes are poorly understood. Here, we present an approach to estimate parthenita death rates and lifespans that uses readily obtainable data on senescent parthenita frequencies, brood sizes, and offspring (cercaria) release rates. The onset of parthenita senescence is often marked by the degeneration and disappearance of the germinal mass, its source of new offspring. Following germinal mass loss, the remaining viable offspring in a senescent parthenita finish development and are birthed before parthenita death. Therefore, a senescing parthenita’s remaining lifespan is the time it takes for all its viable offspring to mature and exit. We can estimate this time by measuring whole-colony (infected snail) cercaria shed rates, dissecting colonies to count reproductives, and then apply the per redia cercaria production rate to the observed brood sizes of senescent parthenitae. The per-capita parthenita death rate is then calculated as the proportion of parthenitae that are senescent divided by their average remaining lifespan. Reproductive parthenita lifespan is the inverse of this death rate. We demonstrate the approach using philophthalmid trematodes, first providing documentation of a free-floating germinal mass in 4 philophthalmids, and then, for 3 of those species, estimating parthenita senescence rates, death rates, and lifespans. This method should be broadly applicable among trematode species and help inform our understanding of trematode colony dynamics, social structure, and the evolution of parthenita senescence.

Institutions of higher education are employing various basic needs interventions, including meal vouchers, to assist students experiencing food insecurity and promote student success. However, little is known about how these programs work to affect student outcomes. Drawing from previous observational studies, we conceptualize students’ well-being, consisting of physical health, mental health, and sense of belonging, as a multi-pathway mechanism that facilitates the academic outcomes of a meal voucher program (MVP). This mixed-methods research employs interview, focus group, and survey data from a longitudinal multimethod study of a campus MVP, to interrogate whether and how well-being, as an underlying mechanism, may contribute to the academic success of students at high risk of food insecurity. We find evidence that the MVP positively influenced students’ physical and mental health, and their sense of belonging, and suggest ways that our conceptualization of well-being can be used to inform practice and policy.

In 2020, Nebraska sought to provide property tax relief through an income tax credit against public school property tax levies. Millions of dollars of the tax credit were offered and went unclaimed. The state responded by mailing notifications to 6,000 taxpayers that informed them of the opportunity to claim the missed credit using a simplified form. Treatment effects estimated using taxpayer microdata show that the credit take-up rate of notified taxpayers was 20 percentage points greater than that of 9,905 taxpayers selected for potential notification but received no contact. Taxpayer subgroups, such as self-preparers, married taxpayers that filed jointly, and rural taxpayers were among those most responsive to notification.

The rain‐on‐snow event of March 12–14, 2019, in eastern Nebraska was caused by a rapidly intensifying mid‐latitude cyclone that resulted in over 80 mm of liquid precipitation and the ablation of over 25 mm of liquid equivalent in the snowpack. The resulting flood caused over $10 billion in damage by some estimates. Here, we sought to evaluate specific dimensions of this event within the broader climatological context to determine how unique the event was relative to a longer period of record. Results suggest that the mid‐latitude cyclone had a central pressure over 30 hPa lower than its classified synoptic weather type, leading to greater warm advection and temperature and dewpoint anomalies as high as +8°C and+10°C, respectively. The 3‐day sequence of weather types corresponding to the event was observed only three other times over a 1948–2021 period of record, while the 2‐day sequence of just March 13–14 occurred just 25 other times. The magnitude of daily precipitation during the event was in the 100th percentile of all rain‐on‐snow (ROS) precipitation events for 16% of the basin and likely was a primary driver of observed flooding. Similarly, daily snow loss during the event across eastern Nebraska was above the 95th percentile relative to 1981–2021 climatology for most of eastern Nebraska. Collectively, our results suggest the March 2019 ROS event was an extreme event across multiple individual facets, but they were not without climatological precedent. As such, this event is a useful case study for understanding extreme rain‐on‐snow events across the Central United States.

Perennial mixed forb and grassland habitats are crucial to conservation of pollinators and connectivity of habitats in intensely farmed landscapes. This study aims to understand the effects of land use on the pollinator community by describing bee abundance, species richness and community composition in perennial conservation grasslands and adjacent annual row crops located in west central Nebraska. In 2022 and 2023, we collected and identified bees via sticky traps at 4 locations (center and edge of adjacent grasslands and crop fields) at 6 replicated sites. We collected 1,768 specimens from sticky traps, resulting in 70 species within 28 genera. Halictidae accounted for 84% of the specimens collected. Bee abundance was influenced by the simple effects of land use (grassland vs. crops), edge adjacency, and the month and year of collection. Differences in bee abundance within a collection date were found mostly in early 2022 (May and June) and late 2023 (September), when the crop center location was generally the lowest, with some evidence for spillover of bees from the grassland into the crop edge during the early summer months. Bee species richness was affected only by month and was not significantly different by land use and edge adjacency. Bee community composition overlapped across the 4 locations, although there were significant dissimilarities between crop fields and grasslands. Surveys of the plant community revealed very low abundance of blooming stems and plant taxonomic richness at crop locations for all sampling periods, while grassland locations were comparatively high and varied over time. Plant communities showed no overlap between crop field and grassland locations. Overall, we found that conservation grasslands, while not seeded specifically with pollinator-attractive forbs, provide diverse resources to support wild bee communities in west central Nebraska; crop edges may also provide non-plant resources such as nesting sites and irrigation water. Going forward, better understanding pollinator species composition and resource utilization relative to land use characteristics and drought conditions will allow for better tailoring of conservation efforts and management strategies in Nebraska and across the larger region.

Background Introduction to psychology disproportionately enrolls beginning college students with significant variability in study skills. Study guides are tools that may help students more effectively prepare for exams. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare exam performance for students who completed required versus optional study guides. Method Students ( n = 169) in asynchronous online Introduction to Psychology completed required study guides for three exams, while 86 students in a comparison section completed a required study guide only for the final exam, though study guides were available for all exams. To control for student motivation, regression analyses incorporated Learning Management System (LMS) engagement metrics, including participation rates, page views, and on-time assignment completion. Results Students in the required-guide group significantly outperformed those with optional guides. Regression analyses indicated that study guide completion contributed significantly to exam success even after accounting for the influence of Exam 1 and engagement. Conclusion Requiring study guides was associated with improved exam performance, even when controlling for motivation and prior exam scores. These findings suggest that completing a structured study guide may support student success in online courses. Teaching Implications Integrating required study guides into courses may improve exams independent of student motivation.

Regeneration of the tendon/ligament-to-bone interface (enthesis) is still a formidable clinical challenge due to the structural and mechanical complexity of the interface. Current clinical approaches using sutures and anchors to treat tendon/ligament tears from the insertion site result in high retear rates. The limited understanding of enthesis biology impedes the progress of functional and integrative regeneration. Mimicking the natural structure and mechanics of the enthesis remains a great difficulty to be solved. This review starts with describing the current clinical approaches with unsatisfactory outcomes, followed by the advances in biology highlighting the importance of enthesis development and maturation for inspiring new treatment options. Next, the biomimetic strategies based on current knowledge of the structural and mechanical properties of the enthesis are critically reviewed. Five sections are discussed in this part: the biomimetic design using the diverse extracellular matrix, the different levels of mineralization encapsulating in the biomaterials to mimic the enthesis, recapitulating different cell types of this interface region, mimicking the collagen fiber orientation at the enthesis, and promoting in situ stem cell differentiation and regeneration using various growth factors and metallic ions. Finally, we summarize the unmet needs and current obstacles in the effective regeneration of enthesis and highlight the trend for biomimetic design in the field.