Digital Commons Network^™

Not Just Static: Evolutionary Throughlines In The Female Voice, Maria Hand '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Vocal communication is essential for many forms of human interaction and discourse. As such, the human voice has been the subject of extensive scientific research in a variety of contexts, including that of potentially evolved characteristics. Researchers have long studied the various changes that occur in direct relation to hormonal shifts across the ovulatory cycle, but one particularly interesting facet of this research is the voice. There are numerous acoustic parameters that are highly socially salient, and thus an ideal means with which to study potential ovulatory cycle related changes. Studies of this subject additionally provide further insight into the …

Psychosocial Mediators Of A Physical Activity And Dietary Intervention In Pregnant Women With Overweight Or Obesity, Meghan Baruth, Sarah Wilcox, Jihong Liu, Rebecca Schlaff

Faculty Publications

Background

Mediation analyses provide insight into both ‘pieces’ of the mediation chain; they allow us to look into the ‘black box’ that is behavior change. They allow researchers to better understand the ‘how’ of an intervention’s effects and/or the ‘why’ behind why an intervention worked or did not work. The lack of publications in pregnant populations highlights the need for additional studies to be conducted and published. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychosocial mediators of physical activity and dietary outcomes in a sample of pregnant women with overweight or obesity participating in the Health in Pregnancy …

A Regional Scoping Review Of School-Based Nutrition Interventions Conducted Across Nordic Countries, Basil H. Aboul-Enein, Stephen Gambescia, Nada Benajiba, Norah Eid Aljohani, Teresa Keller, Patricia J. Kelly

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: While Nordic countries have a relatively high socioeconomic status population, they are challenged by the health deficit of rising obesity and overweight among young people. The aim of this regional scoping review is to identify best practices for designing and implementing effective school nutrition programs in Nordic countries and identify gaps for further research.

METHODS: Using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a scoping review was conducted across nine academic databases between 1980 and May 2025.

RESULTS: Fifty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, from small pilot interventions to large national or international cohorts involving thousands of students across the five …

New Species Of Kronosvirus Bacteriophages That Infect Caulobacter Strain Cbr1, Tannaz Mohammadi, Austin Millwood, Maherah Shaik, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

Caulobacter segnis strain CBR1 enhances the germination rate and total biomass of Arabidopsis plants. Since bacteriophages are usually present in the rhizosphere, we isolated three additional bacteriophages, designated TMCBR2, TMCBR3, and W2, that can replicate using CBR1 as the host strain. The genome sizes and morphologies of the new phages were similar to those of the previously isolated Kronos phage, and when we compared the nucleotide sequence of these new phage genomes, we found only minor differences among the four phage genomes. Pairwise sequence comparisons indicated that the phage genomes should be grouped into three separate species within Kronosvirus genus. …

The Effect Of Low And High-Carbohydrate Diets On Memory Performance In College Students, Samia Baugh, Zoe Zajko, Jamie Analuisa, Ivanna Jacome

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the brain and play an important role in processes related to memory performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a low-carbohydrate diet compared to a high-carbohydrate diet on memory performance in college students aged 18–22 years. For the purposes of this study, a low-carbohydrate diet is defined as a diet providing fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrates per day, while a high-carbohydrate diet provides approximately 325 grams of carbohydrates. This population is particularly important to study because college students experience high academic demands that require strong memory …

Morphology, Phylogeny And Distribution Of Scaeurgus (Cephalopoda: Octopoda) In Southeast Pacific Seamounts, Sergio A. Carrasco, Christian M. Ibáñez, Andrea I. Varela, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Octopuses of the genus Scaeurgus inhabit upper bathyal benthic habitats and are composed of five recognized species. In this study, we conducted morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses of two individuals of Scaeurgus and provided additional field observations of the genus in seamounts of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges (southeast Pacific Ocean) over the last six years. Specifically, two specimens of Scaeurgus were collected at 234 m depth in 2019 during the EPIC oceanographic cruise onboard the R/V Mirai (JAMSTEC, Japan), and five other specimens were video recorded at depths between 210 and 340 m during three oceanographic expeditions …

Predicting Soil Organic Carbon In Lower Depths From Surface Soil Features Using Machine Learning Methods, Lawrence Aula, Milena Maria Tomaz De Oliveira, Amanda C. Easterly, Cody F. Creech

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Topsoil features within a depth of 0–10 cm are vital for making soil management decisions that affect crop production. However, the use of these soil features to predict soil organic carbon (SOC) at 10–20 cm requires further investigation. The study aims to predict SOC at 10–20 cm using total nitrogen (total N), pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and SOC at 0–10 cm and select a suitable model for predicting SOC. This study was conducted using data from a long-term tillage, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow experiment established in autumn 1970. Treatments included moldboard plow, stubble mulch, no-till, and native …

A Novel Endolysin Of Phage Persinger Infecting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Activity Against Biofilms And Structural Prediction, Layla Abbud

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Endolysins are proteins that degrade bacterial cell walls. They are encoded on the genome of bacteriophages (viruses that infect and kill bacteria). At the end of the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage, endolysins cut the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall, allowing the release of viral progeny. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-known multidrug-resistant human pathogen that causes serious problems, especially in patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). One property of P. aeruginosa is the production of biofilms, which is a defense against antibiotics. Previous research has shown that endolysins from bacteriophages can degrade biofilms. The endolysin protein from Persinger, …

Ultrasonography Accompanied By Genetic Testing In Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease, Thao Phuong Vu, Thong Quang Le, Ha Nguyen Nhat Tran, Khoa Hoang Dang Le, Anh Phu Nam Bui

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), caused by the PKD1 c.10063C>A mutation, is a prevalent inherited feline disorder, but its allele frequency in Vietnam remains unidentified. This study aimed to determine the carrier frequency of this variant in British Shorthair, Maine Coon, and Ragdoll cats in Ho Chi Minh City and to correlate genotype with ultrasonographic phenotype. Ninety-seven client-owned cats were genotyped for the pkd1 mutation using PCR-RFLP. A subset of 47 cats also underwent abdominal ultrasonography to detect renal cysts. Genotypic results were correlated with sonographic findings, and risk factors were analyzed using chi-square tests and odds ratios …

Survivin And Caspases Coordinate Proteolytic Cleavage Of The Saga Chromatin Modifying Complex, Elinor Harrison, Alejandro Damian, Cj Talton

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title: Survivin and Caspases Coordinate Proteolytic Cleavage of the SAGA Chromatin Modifying Complex

Elinor Harrison¹, Alejandro Damian¹, CJ Talton¹, Jelly H Soffers¹, Abudu I Bello¹, Kara M Costanzo¹, Joe Bean¹, Ryan D Mohan¹

¹Wayne State University School of Medicine

Background: The Spt Ada Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) chromatin modifying complex is a critical regulator of gene expression. Mutation or stoichiometric imbalance of SAGA subunits leads to a spectrum of diseases in model organisms and in humans, including neurodegeneration. SAGA contributes to gene activation through coordinated …

Assessing Functional Visual Recovery After Retinal Regeneration In Zebrafish Using The Optokinetic Response (Okr), Yeganeh Tabatabaei Alavi, Yeganeh Tabatabaei Alavi

Medical Student Research Symposium

Zebrafish have a unique ability to regenerate retinal neurons through Müller glia-mediated reprogramming, a process not found in mammals. While structural regeneration has been extensively documented, the degree to which regenerated photoreceptors restore functional vision remains unclear. The optokinetic response (OKR), a reflexive eye-tracking behavior triggered by moving visual stimuli, provides a quantitative, non-invasive method to assess visual performance. This study aims to determine whether photoreceptor regeneration following acute and chronic light-induced injury results in functional restoration of vision. Adult zebrafish will be divided into three groups: uninjured control, acute injury (short-term high-intensity light), and chronic injury (long-term low-intensity light). …

Evaluation Of Soil Properties Under Forested And Cropland Areas In Murray, Kentucky, Ramson K C, Shiba Hari Dhakal, Abinash Dhungana

Scholars Week

Soil health is shaped by its physical and chemical properties which are largely influenced by land use, affecting structure, fertility and water retention. The objective of this study was to determine key soil properties, and to evaluate their interrelationships in cultivated and forested areas of Western Kentucky. For this study, two representatives cultivated and two forested sites were selected with 6 replications each on September, 2025 in Murray, Kentucky. A total of 48 soil samples (24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed) were collected from the 0–7 cm soil layer. Disturbed soil samples were used to measure organic matter (OM) content in …

Comparing Effects Of Crop Rotation And Continuous Monocropping On Soil Chemical Properties: A Review Of Agricultural Practices In The U.S. Corn Belt, Shiba Hari Dhakal Shiba

Scholars Week

Soil chemical health is critical for sustaining long-term agricultural productivity in the U.S. Corn Belt, yet continuous monocropping of corn poses persistent challenges to soil organic matter, soil organic carbon, nutrient balance, and pH stability. This review synthesizes findings from long-term field studies to compare the impacts of crop rotation and continuous monocropping on soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrient availability, and soil pH across the Corn Belt. Results consistently show that crop rotation enhances SOM and SOC through increased residue input, diverse root systems, and improved microbial activity, whereas continuous monocropping accelerates organic matter decomposition and …

The Effects Of Sun Exposure On The Intensity And Distribution Of Salamander Biofluorescence, Julianne Chairez

Scholars Week

Salamanders have been used in a variety of different experiments to  determine the health of various ecosystems. Biofluorescence was recently studied in  amphibians in a study done in 2020. Not much is known about all its functions,  more studies are needed to fully understand how it works and how it can be affected  by environmental factors. Learning more about the functions of salamander  biofluorescence could lead to a greater understanding of how pollutants and human  impacts can affect salamanders and the health of their ecosystems. This project  aims to focus on tiger salamander biofluorescence and how its distribution and  intensity …

Comparing A Normal (2005) And A Drought (2007) Year Crop Health Using Ndvi, Pratibha Adhikari

Scholars Week

Agricultural productivity in the southeastern United States is highly vulnerable to drought-induced crop stress, as interannual climate variability can markedly alter crop development and production dynamics. The main goal of this project is to assess how crop health in Calloway County changed between a normal year (2005) and an extreme drought year (2007) using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and to evaluate the effectiveness of NDVI for monitoring crop stress. Cloud free Landsat images were acquired from USGS Earth Explorer. NDVI was produced for each year and a pixel-wise NDVI differencing image was created (ΔNDVI = NDVI_2007 − NDVI_2005). While …

Using Machine Learning Algorithms To Clarify Relationships Between Soil Properties And Lead Stomach Bioaccessibility, Shehan Wijesinghe, Dibyendu Sarkar, Hadeer Saleh, Khalid Mustafa, Smitha Rao, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications

Featured Application: This paper has important applications in environmental health risk assessment and urban soil remediation planning. By demonstrating how machine learning can predict lead bioaccessibility in lead paint-contaminated soil, the study provides a scalable, cost-effective alternative to laboratory-based extraction methods. Such models could support rapid screening of contaminated sites, helping prioritize high-risk areas for intervention and allocate remediation resources more efficiently. This model is expected to advance data-driven decision-making for managing lead-contaminated soils and protect vulnerable urban populations from exposure. Lead contamination in urban soils, primarily from deteriorating lead-based paint, poses a significant health risk in the United States. …

Anti-Inflammatory And Insulin-Modulating Effects Of Tithonia-Curcuma-Moringa (Tcm) Formulation In Type 2 Diabetes: An Experimental Study In Mice, Rif’Atul Hawani Burhan, Nabila Shafa Yumna Salsabila, Devita Zulfa Pratama, La Tazkia Aulia Wibowo, Yulian Ervin Maulana, Moh Dliyauddin, Noviana Dwi Lestari, Agung Pramana Warih Marhendra, Aris Soewondo, Hideo Tsuboi, Muhaimin Rifa’I

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and chronic inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and insulin-modulating effects of Tithonia-Curcuma-Moringa (TCM) formulation in type 2 diabetes model. Male BALB/c mice were divided into six groups: normal control, type 2 diabetes control, metformin treatment, and three TCM formulation treatment groups with three different dose combinations. Type 2 diabetes was induced using a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin injection, supported by sucrose administration. After 21 days of treatment, the spleen and pancreas were isolated for flow cytometry analysis. The results showed that the expression levels of …

Exposure To Manganese During Juvenile Development Increases Microglial Activation In The Hippocampus Following Systemic Infection With A/California/04/2009 Influenza A H1n1 Virus, Megan Hager, Adam Schuller, Omar Yanouri, Collin Bantle, Richard Smeyne, Ronald Tjalkens

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Up to 80% of patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) develop dementia within 20 years of diagnosis. Although the etiology of PD and related neurodegenerative disorders is poorly understood, risk factors including environmental toxicants and viral infections are linked to disease onset and progression. Exposure to high doses of the essential element, manganese (Mn), causes neurotoxicity associated with parkinsonian symptoms and cognitive impairment in humans. Additionally, epidemiologic studies indicate that viral infections increase risk of developing PD. Previously, our lab demonstrated that mice exposed to Mn during juvenile development showed greater neuroinflammatory changes in microglia within the substantia nigra following systemic …

Breaking Barriers: Advancement Toward Practical Nursing Licensure For Certified Medication Assistants In Long-Term Care--A Descriptive Study, Aleshia L. Maxwell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The persistent nursing shortage across the United States, particularly in Long-Term Care (LTC) settings, has complicated the healthcare system’s ability to meet the needs of an aging population. While existing research often examines progression from Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN), limited research explores factors influencing progression from entry-level LTC healthcare workers to Practical Nursing (PN) licensure. This quantitative descriptive study examined the barriers and supporting factors influencing advancement toward PN licensure for Medication Assistants-Certified (MA-Cs) in Arkansas LTC facilities. A convenience sample of N=100 participated in the study. Results indicated that financial and structural barriers often …

Construction Projects Picking Up At Una Again, Jennifer Edwards

Documents

Demolition of Floyd Hall and other talk of new construction for The University of North Alabama

Cytokinesis And Dbf2, Katharine Gray

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

The Mitotic Exit Network (MEN) is a signaling pathway that allows a dividing cell to exit cytokinesis. Dbf2 is a MEN protein kinase in yeast, which provides a simplified model for studying this pathway. By altering Dbf2’s activity through phosphorylation mutants, its effect on cytokinesis can be studied. Transformed cells with a mutant and degron Dbf2 allele are prompted to destroy the degron Dbf2 protein, leaving only mutated Dbf2 behind. This allows for clear analysis of the effect of the phosphorylation mutant on division. Fluorescence microscopy can be used to visualise this degradation, and the impact on actin ring formation …

Biosensors For Biomedicine, Drake O'Leary

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

This project investigated the use of engineered bacterial reporter systems to detect cellular stress responses associated with antibiotic activity. While constructs were successfully introduced and tested against known antibiotics, the reporter consistently produced a blue signal across conditions, limiting the ability to distinguish specific stress responses. This suggests issues such as leaky expression, insufficient regulatory control, or lack of specificity in the reporter design. Although results were inconclusive, this work highlights key challenges in developing reliable biosensors and provides a foundation for future optimization. Improving signal specificity and reducing background expression will be critical for enabling accurate characterization of antibiotic …

Investigating The Role Of Interval I402 On Sk-3-Based Spore Killing And Gene Drive In Neurospora Crassa, Ellana Tobin

Senior Theses – Biological Sciences

Neurospora crassa is a useful model organism for genetic research due to its haploid life cycle and its ability to produce large numbers of sexual spores called ascospores. The haploid ascospores form within asci, which typically contain eight ascospores at maturity. However, selfish genetic elements known as meiotic gene drivers have been discovered in Neurospora fungi, and some of these alter the number of viable ascospores that form in each ascus. There are two known meiotic gene drivers in N. crassa: Spore killer-2 (Sk-2) and Spore killer-3 (Sk-3). Spore killing occurs when a killer strain mates with a sensitive …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Competition And Recovery From Disturbance In An Iconic Marine Community, Lauren Tibbits

Senior Theses

This paper explores how the recovery of populations of Semibalanus balanoides is affected by climate variation. In intertidal marine ecosystems, larval recruitment is important in shaping all ecological processes. S. balanoides is a cold-water barnacle species that is competitively dominant over Chthamalus montagui and C. stellatus, two warm-water species. This competitive interaction is well studied, though it is not understood how that competition influences the recovery of S. balanoides after a disturbance nor how this process varies over a temperature gradient. 19 sites were studied across the United Kingdom, spanning from northern Scotland to southwestern England. At each site, a …

Discovering Drug-Like Compounds By Targeting Protein-Protein Interactions Using A Yeast-3-Hybrid System, Chesley C. Blake

Senior Theses

Protein-protein interactions are important targets in cancer biology as they can make historically “undruggable” proteins viable drug targets. However, the current approach to targeting protein-protein interactions relies on the use of small molecule drugs, which have low efficiencies as they must cover a large surface area of the interaction. Further, traditional drug therapies often lead to off-target toxicity, limiting therapeutic specificity. The objective of this project is to develop a selection system in yeast to identify short peptide sequences that can disrupt protein-protein interactions specific to cancer cells. Following proof of principle and development of the AH109 yeast strain having …

Exploring Synthesized Cbd Derivatives: Implications Of Therapeutic Strategies For Neuroinflammation, Josephine Mosser

Senior Theses

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid derived from Cannabis Sativa with well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, yet its clinical utility is limited by moderate receptor selectivity, rapid hepatic metabolism, and broad pharmacological activity on the central nervous system (CNS). This thesis describes the design and partial execution of a multi-step synthetic route aimed at generating CBD/CBD-derived chalcone intermediates for potential therapeutic applications for neuroinflammation. The steps encompass an O-methylation, O-acetylation, and a Fries rearrangement. The first three steps were completed successfully and reproducibly shown through 1H-NMR and 12C-NMR; however, purification of the fourth step was not successful within the available …

Antibiotics And You: A Comprehensive Guide, Brady Haas

Senior Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a rapidly emerging issue within public health. As resistance grows, the effectiveness of traditional antibiotic therapies diminishes while risk of treatment grows. Alongside novel therapies, public knowledge is a strong combatant of the resistance-related risks of antibiotic usage. Through a comprehensive review of current literature, this work serves as an accessible guide to the mechanisms of antibiotics, bacterial resistance, and the challenges related to current antibiotic usage. Additionally, the ability of current policy and emerging novel treatments, such as nanoparticles and bacteriophage therapy, to fight antibiotic resistance is evaluated. This analysis highlights the importance of improving public …

Cell-Free Mitochondrial Dna (Mtdna) Triggers Vascular Dysfunction Via Toll-Like Receptor 9 (Tlr9)-Dependent Activation Of Inflammasomes, Mohin Amin

Senior Theses

Hypertension is the leading global risk factor for mortality and is closely associated with vascular inflammation and dysfunction. Damaged mitochondria release cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA), which activates toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The binding of TLR9 to mtDNA activates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines via gasdermin D (GSDMD), therefore worsening inflammation. However, the mechanisms linking mitochondrial injury to inflammation-induced vascular dysfunction remain unclear. We hypothesize that cf-mtDNA triggers TLR9-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation contributing to vascular and endothelial dysfunction. To assess that, adult male C57BL/6 were exposed to 28 consecutive days of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) or …

Heterogeneity Of Treatment Effects In Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation For Knee Osteoarthritis Pain And Symptoms, Chiyoung Lee, Xiaoxiao Sun, Juyoung Park, Chen X. Chen, Christine Pellegrini Ph.D., Nan-Kuei Chen, David O. Garcia, Heewon Kim, C. Kent Kwoh, Hyochol Ahn

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Although heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTEs) is commonly observed in clinical trials, it has received little attention in studies on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Objectives: This study identified the presence of HTE in tDCS treatment among participants with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explored participant characteristics associated with this heterogeneity.

Methods: This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial included 120 participants with symptomatic KOA who received 15 daily sessions of home-based 2-mA active or sham tDCS over 3 weeks. We used a multitrajectory analysis to identify distinct subgroups based on the longitudinal trajectories of KOA pain and …

Heterogeneity Of Treatment Effects In Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation For Knee Osteoarthritis Pain And Symptoms, Chiyoung Lee, Xiaoxiao Sun, Juyoung Park, Chen X. Chen, Christine Pellegrini, Nan-Kuei Chen, David O. Garcia, Haewon Kim, C. Kent Kwoh, Hyochoi Ahn

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Although heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTEs) is commonly observed in clinical trials, it has received little attention in studies on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Objectives: This study identified the presence of HTE in tDCS treatment among participants with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explored participant characteristics associated with this heterogeneity.

Methods: This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial included 120 participants with symptomatic KOA who received 15 daily sessions of home-based 2-mA active or sham tDCS over 3 weeks. We used a multitrajectory analysis to identify distinct subgroups based on the longitudinal trajectories of KOA pain and …