Digital Commons Network^™

Optimizing Aplysia Californica's Living Conditions, Ruiying Xu

Intersections Fall 2020

The marine mollusk Aplysia californica is an important model organism for neuroscience research. In laboratory aquaria, animal waste may accumulate and harm animals unless water is replaced frequently. To keep animals healthy for longer, we have designed a marine environment that replicates the natural nitrogen cycle. Our animals' holding tanks have two compartments: a main compartment for animals and a refugium for macroalgae. We are studying whether ammonia and nitrate derived from animal waste cause illness in Aplysia, and whether macroalgae can sequester nitrates and reverse illness. We measured increases in nitrate and ammonia in the absence of macroalgae. We …

Orchestral Diversity: Analyzing Diversity In Music Conservatories, Claire Jeffress

Intersections Fall 2020

Many industries and institutions realize the value of diversity in improving creativity, innovation and productivity and are adopting policies to improve diversity. Professional symphony orchestras, however, were late in adopting this movement and the data reflects that. A 2015 report by the League of American Orchestras indicates that 86% of musicians in adult orchestras are white. Furthermore, the same study indicates that racial diversity decreases from youth to professional orchestras (League of American Orchestras 2015). The purpose of this research project is to analyze data from music conservatories to indicate a change in diversity over time as well as further …

Avataraudiometer: An Online Simulation Platform For Pure-Tone Audiometry, Daniel Weidman, Lauren Calandruccio

Intersections Fall 2020

Simulation education for medical and health professional training bridges classroom learning and training in a clinical environment. Its use has been increasing over the past two decades. Guidance to avoid in-person contact due to SARS-CoV-2 has further increased demand. Pure-tone audiometry is part of an audiometric test battery used to evaluate the auditory system. At Case Western Reserve University, students typically learn to conduct audiometry in COSI 370: Introduction to Audiology. Under current pandemic circumstances, students are unable to gain in-person experience using standard hardware (an audiometer and calibrated headphones). AvatarAudiometer solves this problem via an interactive online tool that …

Height And Light: Optical Profilometry Characterization For Conservation Of Abraded Plastics, Sarah Lavin

Intersections Fall 2020

This project aims to understand how surface polishing affects different materials in the context of art conservation. These materials include both those used in the creation and preservation of art objects, and those used to house and display them in a museum. Conservators at SBE Conservation and Cooper Hewitt have been working on two series of art objects, Still Life #46 and Still Life #54 by Tom Wesselman, for the past 6 years. The two sculptures are identical with the difference being that those from the Still Life #46 series were backlit while the others were not. Working with conservators …

Determination Of Potential Azotobacter Vinelandii Bacteriophage Gene Sequences: A Bioinformatics Approach, Anish Reddy, Sarah Bagby

Intersections Fall 2020

Microbial communities play a key role in shaping many diverse ecosystems through their biogeochemical contributions. These communities comprise not only bacteria and archaea but also their viruses, whose reproduction profoundly affects host cell biology. While many bacterial species have been well characterized, the challenges of isolation and sequencing have hampered the study of environmental viruses such as bacteriophages. The model organism Azotobacter vinelandii is a common nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium. To our knowledge, no Azotobacter phages currently exist in culture. However, modern bioinformatic and database approaches can be used to identify the metagenomic sequences that may derive from bacteriophages that infect …

A Simplified Approach To Quantifying A Child's Bilingual Language Experience, Isabella Beninate

Intersections Fall 2020

There is an increasing need to accurately and efficiently describe a bilingual child's dynamic linguistic experience during audiological evaluations. This report documents an approach at qualitatively capturing linguistic exposure and usage information in a time-efficient manner. A well-known pediatric bilingual survey was administered to 83 parents of bilingual children, obtaining information on the child's exposure (input) to and usage (output) of Spanish and English on an hourly basis (17 time frames) during a typical weekday and weekend. Parents also completed a questionnaire that obtains demographic information of the child and family, parent-rated language proficiency of the child, and a family …

The Influence Of Reduced Speech Signal Audibility On Masked-Speech Recognition For Young Adults With Normal Hearing, Alyssa Liusie, Peter A. Calandruccio

Intersections Fall 2020

Challenging communication environments, in which listeners must recognize and comprehend the target speech of interest amongst acoustic background competition, are prevalent in everyday life. Older adults with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which occurs due to inner ear or neural pathway damage, are known to have significant difficulty hearing in such environments, and especially those with competing background talkers present (such as in noisy restaurants). Previous work in the Speech and Auditory Research (SpAR) laboratory has indicated that older adults with SNHL have deficits using prosodic contour differences (i.e., intonation differences) between target and masker speech to improve target speech recognition, …

Changes In Meiotic Crossover Distribution And Frequency In Response To Chromosome Structural Variants, Christiana Wang, Nicole Crown

Intersections Fall 2020

Meiosis is an important mechanism that generates genetic variation for sexually reproducing organisms through recombination. In order for an organism to successfully propagate its genetic material from one generation to the next, its genome must be properly delivered as gametes. Meiotic crossing over of DNA ensures proper homolog segregation by repairing programmed double-stranded breaks. Meiotic defects caused by chromosome structural variants are detrimental to reproduction. During the interchromosomal effect, heterozygous inversions suppress crossing over between affected chromosomes while increasing crossing over between normal chromosome pairs. These defects in chromosomal dynamics trigger the pachytene checkpoint, leading to a delay in prophase …

The Protestant Reformation And Interior Church Architecture - Art Exhibition, Winston Kam, Catherine Scallen

Intersections Fall 2020

The first half of the 16th century saw an international religious and cultural conflict that rose within Western Christianity between Roman Catholics and the newly established Protestants. Key figures such as Martin Luther and Jean Calvin challenged papal authority and the Catholic church's ability to define Christian practice thus instigating the Protestant Reformation. Within church confines differences in values and beliefs such as the legitimacy of purchasing salvation through indulgences or interpretations of the Eucharist transformed the spaces in which Protestants practiced their new version of Christianity. As a result of this split, Lutherans encouraged the display of a restricted …

Asynchronous Ultrasonic Trilateration For Indoor Positioning Of Mobile Phones, Viacheslav Filonenko (Thesis)

Theses

Spatial awareness is fast becoming the key feature on today‟s mobile devices. While accurate outdoor navigation has been widely available for some time through Global Positioning Systems (GPS), accurate indoor positioning is still largely an unsolved problem. One major reason for this is that GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) systems offer accuracy of a scale far different to that required for effective indoor navigation. Indoor positioning is also hindered by poor GPS signal quality, a major issue when developing dedicated indoor locationing systems. In addition, many indoor systems use specialized hardware to calculate accurate device position, as …

Behavioral Observations Surrounding A Diet Change Of Zoo-Housed Matschie's Tree Kangaroos (Dendrolagus Matschiei), Sarah Miller, Noah T. Dunham, Diana Koester

Intersections Fall 2020

The diet of zoo-housed animals has significant implications to many aspects of each species' health and survival. A recent study revealed the diet of free-ranging Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) to be mostly browse-focused, including plants like leaves, ferns, and orchids. Prior to those findings, zoo-housed tree kangaroos were fed diets, mostly biscuit-based, that differ vastly from that of free-ranging tree kangaroos possibly contributing to widespread issues within zoos concerning obesity and low reproductive success. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (CMZ) houses two Matschie tree kangaroos which, in 2019, underwent a significant diet change from a more traditional, baseline, biscuit-heavy diet …

The Effects Of Personality, Conformity, And Online Dating Platforms On The Perceptions Of Sexual Attraction Amongst Young Adults, Anil Nayak

Intersections Fall 2020

The process of dating has changed significantly in the past three decades. This has left people, especially young adults, confused, and unsure of what has changed or how to act. This literature review aims to explain the factors that have caused the "dating game" to change in regards to perceptions of sexual attraction, mainly the shift of personality preferences away from evolutionary characteristics, the decrease in conformity in today's society, and the recent rise of online dating. A brief overview of the timeless evolutionary factors, which have affected attraction for centuries, will set the stage for how these factors are …

Recovery Among Homeless Populations With Severe Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorders, Abigail M. Cross

Intersections Fall 2020

Homelessness among persons with severe mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD) is a prominent social issue in the United States today. Not only do persons with SMI make up a significant portion of the overall homeless population, SUDs make it more difficult for them to recover successfully. Recovery among these populations is multi-faceted, and all aspects of recovery should be accounted for so that this population has the best chance to succeed. There are a number of programs in place that attempt to place persons with SMI and SUD into housing while providing treatment, including Permanent Supportive …

The Relationship Between Behavioral Inhibition System Sensitivity And Neuroticism, Yuhan Zhang, Rock Lim, Amanda R. Merner, Heath A. Demaree

Intersections Fall 2020

Neuroticism is one of the dimensions of the Big Five personality model that measures different personality traits. Individuals who score high on the scale of neuroticism are more likely to experience negative emotions such as anxiety or fear, and these individuals are prone to lacking adaptive coping skills when dealing with stressors (Widiger, 2009). Another method to better appreciate differences in personality is known as the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS). Higher BIS scores are associated with increased sensitivity to punishments and increased experience of negative emotions such as anxiety and guilt (Carver &White, 1994). The relationship between neuroticism and …

Is The Fluorescence Quantum Yield Of Tryptophan Independent Of Excitation Wavelength?, Nadia Abbass, Luis A. Ortiz-Rodríguez, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Intersections Fall 2020

Tryptophan is a fluorescent amino acid that is commonly used as a probe in protein structure-dynamics studies. It is also widely used as a convenient standard for measurements of fluorescence quantum yields of organic and bioorganic molecules. Literature values of the fluorescence quantum yield range from 0.13 to 0.15 upon excitation of tryptophan at 270 nm in aqueous solution. Even though the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan is known with a high degree of accuracy upon excitation at 270 nm (i.e., ca. ± 0.02), this value is being used indiscriminately in the literature for the determination of the fluorescence quantum …

Wheelchair Athlete Concussion Baseline Data: A Pilot Retrospective Analysis, Jonathan Lee, Michael Harper, Michael Uihlein, Kenneth Lee

Intersections Fall 2020

After a thorough literature search and through experience at adaptive sports events, we identified a lack of established guidelines for Sport-related concussion (SRC) evaluation and management in wheelchair athletes. Wheelchair athletes are a unique population, and certain conventional methods of evaluating SRC in able-bodied sports cannot be used. For example, wheelchair athletes' underlying disabilities restrict the use of standard balance testing protocols. In addition, some wheelchair athletes have concurrent traumatic brain injuries and may have baseline cognitive deficits associated with their disability that mimic the symptoms of a concussion. This research focused on discussing current concussion management guidelines in Adaptive …

Engineering Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles For Bacterial Biofilm Treatment, Massado Ngompe, Yu Hsin Tsai, Nathalie Milbrandt, Zhuoying Jiang, Xiong Yu, Anna Cristina S. Samia

Intersections Fall 2020

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are non-toxic and biocompatible materials that are used for a wide range of applications such as pigments, sunscreens, cosmetics, and food colorings. TiO2 possesses a large band gap (3.2 eV) which, by heteroatom doping or by molten salt/hydrogen assisted reduction, can be narrowed to allow for activity within the visible light spectrum making them optimal candidates for use in bacterial biofilm eradication. Nitrogen-doped and reduced TiO2 NPs have been explored in this study due to their narrowed band gap. The narrowed band gap allows for the formation of excitons upon the absorption of light within …

Does Diet Breadth Resolve Variation In Climate Driven Range Shifts Of Ohio Butterflies?, Lydia Beera, Angie Lenard, Sarah E. Diamond

Intersections Fall 2020

As a result of recent climate change, many species are rapidly altering their geographic ranges, in a phenomenon known as range shifting. In general, the shifts tend to be geographically poleward or upslope, but there is a lot of variation in the magnitude or direction of contemporary range shifts. Theory suggests that specialization might constrain range shift responses. In this experiment, we examined the relationship between the magnitude and direction of range shift responses and degree of diet specialization of Ohio butterfly larvae. We used a long-term monitoring dataset of butterfly range dynamics to test this relationship. Surprisingly, we did …

The Most Precious Gift, Susan E. Murray

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Tired Of Feeling Tired?, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

His Greatest Instrument, Ashley Meyer

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

New James White Portrait Unveiled At The James White Library, Ashley Meyer

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

A Journey, Emily Ferguson

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

A Leader For Christ, Ashleigh Jardine

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

The Dark Man: The Journal of Robert E. Howard & Pulp Studies

Prefatory Remarks, by Mark E. Hall

The Writer’s Style: Sound and Syntax in Howard’s Sentences, by David C. Smith

I ’n’ I A-Liberate Zimbabwe: Motifs of Africa and Freedom in Howard’s "The Grisly Horror," by Patrick R. Burger

Robert E. Howard and the Lone Scouts, by Rob Roehm

"Sword Woman," review by Charles Hoffman

"Solomon Kane and the Castle of the Devil," review by Charles Gramlich

"John Carter of Weird Worlds," review by Charles Gramlich

"Reflections on Le Fanu," review by Charles Gramlich

Prometheus's Role Of The Poet, Sarah M. Connelly

Student Publications

This essay examines the characterization of Prometheus in the opening speech of Prometheus Unbound, by Percy Shelley, through the lens of Shelley’s “Defense of Poetry” in order to argue Prometheus’ existence as a poet. By giving humanity wisdom and bridging the gap between logic and compassion, Prometheus becomes the point from which imagination, beauty, art, and poetry stems. Prometheus’ role developed into a model of morality and love in contrast to the fear and spite of Zeus, whose influence is reflected in the evils of mankind. Yet, through the torturous reign of Zeus, Prometheus transcends his hate by retracting his …

Water Bankruptcy, Christine A. Klein

UF Law Faculty Publications

Many western states are on the verge of bankruptcy, with debts exceeding assets. And yet, they continue to take on additional debt through contracts and other commitments. Although this distress sounds like an outgrowth of the 2008 recession, this crisis involves water, not money. In particular, the problem concerns the western prior appropriation system of water law, which allocates the right to use water under the priority principle of “first in time, first in right.” In many states, the system is so “over-allocated” that it promises to deliver annually much more water than nature provides. The crisis will deepen as …

Choosing Among Innocents: Should Donations To Charities Be Protected From Avoidance As Fraudulent Transfers, Jeffrey Davis

UF Law Faculty Publications

In recent years, the nation has experienced the most severe recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. A recession is like a low tide. When the water recedes, the crabs, slugs, and urchins appear. Similarly, when the economy recedes, Ponzi schemes appear. People cut back on saving and investing, and many are forced to draw on savings and investments. Deprived of its life's blood, a positive cash flow, a Ponzi scheme dies. This explains why so many Ponzi schemes have failed recently, including the schemes of Bernard Madoff in New York, Tom Petters in Minneapolis, Robert Allen Stanford in …

Seepage And Stability Of A Dam In An Artesian Setting, Sean A. Parks

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Willow Creek Dam is located in a unique region on the boundary of a confined aquifer, where artesian conditions exist. Recently, groundwater levels have exceeded the elevation of the downstream berm well above anticipated piezometric elevations. It was presumed from limited evidence that these high piezometric levels resulted from pressure in the aquifer rather than from seepage out of the reservoir. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relative contributions of the reservoir and the regional groundwater to observed piezometric levels and how these levels affect seepage exit gradients and slope stability of the dam.

Comparing the head …

Modeling Of Yeast Pheromone Pathway Using Petri Nets, Abhishek Majumdar

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is one of the most widely studied single celled organisms. Mating of yeast cells occur between cells of opposite mating types a and alpha. Pheromone secretion by a cell alerts the corresponding opposite type cell about its presence and eventually facilitates the process of mating between them. The details of how pheromones affect cells can be studied from the pheromone response pathway in a yeast cell. A response pathway typically depicts the chain of interactions that happens between the different proteins in the cells in response to the pheromone. In this thesis we model the …