Digital Commons Network^™

A Bioluminescence Sensor Of Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation, Michael Alexander Winek

Master's Theses

The innate immune system is many organisms first line of defense against pathogenic insult or tissue damage. This defense strategy is intent on restoring homeostasis upon perturbation. Upon activation of the innate immune system in humans, an oligomeric protein complex termed the “Inflammasome” forms in myeloid cells. The canonical output of activation of any subset of inflammasome is Caspase-1-mediated secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β and IL18. Chronic or uncontrolled inflammasome activation is at the core of myriad economically burdening diseases. In many of these diseases, endogenous factors chronically engage the innate immune system. To study these diseases in in vivo, …

The Great Portion Of The Scum Of Society'? Representations Of Execution Crowds In The Lancashire Press, 1830-1868, John Walliss

SOLON Law, Crime and History (previously SOLON Crimes and Misdemeanours: Deviance and the Law in Historical Perspective)

From 1830 to the abolition of public executions in 1868, there was a growing critique of the execution crowd among elite commentators. To date, however, most, if not all, discussion of this critique has focused on the metropolis, elite groups and decision makers and on national newspapers such as The Times. The aim of this article is to shift the focus away from the metropolis towards the provinces, by exploring how the execution crowd was represented in the provincial press. While there have been several analyses of how executions were represented in the provincial press during the period, there has …

In Black And White: The Sociopolitical Rhetoric Surrounding Anti-Miscegenation Attitudes In Ohio, Sarah Mccrea

Senior Independent Study Theses

In this study, I argue that the appearance of anti-miscegenation writings in Ohio spiked during periods that saw massive threats to the notion of white male supremacy, such as the months just prior to the onset of the Civil War, several especially tense points during the Civil War and the Reconstruction period, and the early to middle years of the 1880s. During these times, Ohioans used at least one of three major rhetorical strategies—each of which coincided with a major trend in national events and politics—to justify and explain their anti-miscegenation attitudes.

When the Ohio State Legislature first debated the …

The Problematical, The Cave, And The Maya: A Theoretical Discussion And Ethnoarchaeological Investigation, Haley N. Austin

Senior Independent Study Theses

This project concerns itself with the theoretical framework and application of ethnoarchaeological research methods in the Maya region. Following an in-depth discussion of ethnoarchaeology and its theoretical locus within archaeology as well as the transformations it has seen in recent year, the current work focuses on the following source- and subject-side cultural groups and phenomena: cave use at La Ventana and La Ventana Campana by Maya peoples from the Suchitepéquez and Sololá Department of Guatemala in comparison with Problematical Deposit 21 at Tikal, Petén, Guatemala. The purpose of this work is not only to investigate the case study mentioned above …

Attempted Identification Of The Calcium-Dependent Sodium Channel Gene In Paramecium Tetraurelia Using Rnai, Gwendolyn Kuzmishin

Senior Independent Study Theses

Ion channels play an important role in the swimming behavior of Paramecium tetraurelia. Electrophysiological experiments indicate that a calcium-dependent sodium channel exists in Paramecium, but a gene has not been identified for this channel. It is hypothesized that this channel evolved from a voltage-dependent sodium channel after a whole genome duplication event. In this paper, 13 candidate genes were identified from the Paramecium genome based on their similarity to a reference human voltage-dependent sodium channel. Bioinformatics analysis of the selectivity filter of these putative ion channel genes suggested that at least 8 of the candidate genes were sodium channels …

When Do Black Lives Matter?: An Experimental Analysis Of White American Support For Black Social Movements, Latrice M. Burks

Senior Independent Study Theses

The BlackLivesMatter Movement has caught the media’s eye as it addresses racism in our criminal justice system. However, there seems to be a racial divide in support for this race-based movement, namely, black Americans tend to be supportive of the cause, and white Americans appear to be less so. Previous literature suggests that an emotional reaction to injustice, specifically moral shock, may trigger cross-racial support for race-based movements. In addition, racial attitudes can also be influential on cross-racial social movement support. This experimental analysis explores under what conditions white Americans will support a black social movement, one that does not …

The Groundwork For Food Criticism: How Normative Aesthetic Judgments Are Possible With Regards To Tastes, Jacob Caldwell

Senior Independent Study Theses

Issues of tastes and smells are often relegated to an ancillary or minor rank of importance in the domain of aesthetics, if recognized at all as legitimate objects of aesthetic inquiry and experience. This essay aims, firstly, to carve out a space of legitimacy for the aesthetics of tastes, and secondly, to clarify what aesthetic inquiry with regards to tastes must look like. In order for the above to be decisively established, the following positions will be argued for: (1) tastes are real, (2) our ordinary or scientific conception of what tastes are, upon which our reasons for doubting the …

Thoughts On Poetry, Alexandra B. Gustafson

Senior Independent Study Theses

The subject of this three-part project is poetry. More specifically, the project is a collection of thoughts about poetry, the language of poetry, and poetry-as-philosophy.

In its introductory section can be found a description of two competing accounts of language: referent theory, and meaning-is-use. While the latter seems a more complete picture on the whole, or so I assert, one must wonder: does it account for all the ways we use language? Specifically, can it account for the language of our main subject—poetry?

I assert not. In this vein, the second part of the project attempts to do what …

Factors That Influence Device Selection By Parents Of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Candidates, Zachary W. Moore

Senior Independent Study Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors/variables and the importance of those factors during cochlear implant (CI) device selection by parents of recent pediatric CI recipients in the United States. The researcher created an electronic survey and asked audiologists and hearing-related professionals at various hospitals and CI centers across the United States to distribute the survey link to the parents of any of their pediatric CI patients who received CI surgery within the past two years under the age of five years. The survey included both Likert-type and open-ended questions regarding the importance of various factors/variables to the …

The Queen’S Serpent: An Examination Of The Serpent Vessel From Burial 61 From El Perú-Waka’, Sarah Van Oss

Senior Independent Study Theses

In 2012, Dr. Olivia Navarro-Farr and her team uncovered the tomb of a Maya ruler in a large ceremonial structure at the site of El Perú-Waka’ in the Petén region of Guatemala. Specialists, subsequently, identified these remains as those of Lady K’abel, a queen already well known from texts associated with the ancient city. This study will explore one of the artifacts found in the tomb, called the War Serpent Vessel, found at the Kaloompte’s feet. I will propose that the iconographic depcitions on this artifact represent a supernatural Serpent that emerges from this vessel. I suggest that this …

Making And Mindfulness: How Process-Oriented Tasks Encourage Reflection And Lead To Recovery, Devin Delaney

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Art Making As An Ecofeminist Exercise In Understanding Species Extinction And Animal Farming, Adrian Rowan

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Phoenician Colonization Of Nuragic Sardinia: A World-Systems Model Of Periphery-Semiperiphery Interaction, Jade Robison

Senior Independent Study Theses

The arrival of the Bronze Age ushered in many changes in the Mediterranean, including the emergence of the Nuragic culture on the island of Sardinia (Italy). The Nuragic culture takes its name from the nuraghi, the more than 7,000 dry-stone towers that dominate the landscape. The Nuragic population engaged in an extensive trade network within the Mediterranean throughout the Middle and Late Bronze Age, trading with Mycenae, Cyprus, and mainland Italy. Contact with foreigners intensified the cultural exchange and facilitated the emergence of an elite group. The Phoenicians established colonies on Sardinia in the Early Iron Age, resulting in the …

Speech-Language Pathologists' Knowledge Of Treatments Used To Remediate The Vocal Symptoms Of Parkinson's Disease, Angela M. Wiley

Senior Independent Study Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine speech-language pathologists’ general knowledge of four voice treatments (traditional speech therapy, the Lombard effect, SPEAK OUT!®, and the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment) used to remediate the vocal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder therefore, it is important for clinicians to be educated about the voice treatments that can used to decrease the vocal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This study was conducted by having members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association fill out an online survey. The results indicated that speech-language pathologists who considered themselves to be …

Seabird Diversity Hotspot Linked To Ocean Productivity In The Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem, W. James Grecian, Matthew J. Witt, Martin J. Attrill, Stuart Bearhop, Peter H. Becker, Carsten Egevang, Robert W. Furness, Brendan J. Godley, Jacob González-Solís, David Grémillet, Matthias Kopp, Amélie Lescroël, Jason Matthiopoulos, Samantha C. Patrick, Hans Ulrich Peter, Richard A. Phillips, Iain J. Stenhouse, Stephen C. Votier

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Divine Revelation And Context: An Interplay Of Influences, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Nutritional Status And Tuberculosis Risk In Adult And Pediatric Household Contacts, Omowunmi Aibana, Xeno Acharya, Chuan-Chin Huang, Mercedes C Becerra, Jerome T Galea, Silvia S Chiang, Carmen Contreras, Roger Calderon, Rosa Yataco, Gustavo E Velásquez, Karen Tintaya, Judith Jimenez, Leonid Lecca, Megan B Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Studies show obesity decreases risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease. There is limited evidence on whether high body mass index also protects against TB infection; how very high body mass indices influence TB risk; or whether nutritional status predicts this risk in children. We assessed the impact of body mass index on incident TB infection and disease among adults and children.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a prospective cohort study among household contacts of pulmonary TB cases in Lima, Peru. We determined body mass index at baseline and followed participants for one year for TB infection and disease. We used …

Preparing Pre-Service Teachers For Professional Engagement Through Place/Community Pedagogies And Partnerships, Monica M. Green

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There is an expectation that Australian teachers engage professionally in all aspects of teaching and learning, including engagement with teaching networks and broader communities. This paper reports on a partnership between a teacher educator and an environmental educator who set out to expand pre-service teachers’ professional knowledge, engagement and practice in an undergraduate Bachelor of Education (primary) course. The paper reports on a study about teacher education students’ perspectives of fieldwork-based learning and its potential to inform students’ future engagement with the broader school community. Using a conceptual framework of place- and community based education, the study examined data from …

Exploring Deviant Hacker Networks (Dhn) On Social Media Platforms, Samer Al-Kateeb, Kevin Conlan, Nitin Agarwal, Ibrahim Baggili, Frank Breitinger

Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

Online Social Networks (OSNs) have grown exponentially over the past decade. The initial use of social media for benign purposes (e.g., to socialize with friends, browse pictures and photographs, and communicate with family members overseas) has now transitioned to include malicious activities (e.g., cybercrime, cyberterrorism, and cyberwarfare). These nefarious uses of OSNs poses a signi_cant threat to society, and thus requires research attention. In this exploratory work, we study activities of one deviant groups: hacker groups on social media, which we term Deviant Hacker Networks (DHN). We investigated the connection between different DHNs on Twitter: how they are connected, identified …

A Twist On Happily Ever After : Fractured Fairy Tales For Young Adults, Kathryn Hale

Graduate Research Papers

Fractured fairy tales are growing in popularity for young adults. Teacher librarians may need a more complete understanding of themes and characters found in fractured fairy tales in order to provide readers’ advisory in this genre. The purpose of this research paper is to describe the themes and moral lessons of positively reviewed fractured fairy tales for young adults. Novels from 2006 - 2015 were analyzed using constant comparison for the themes and lessons described in them. Nine positively reviewed core collection novels were chosen, read and analyzed by the researcher. Themes explored through the research include: danger of ignorance, …

The Use Of Mentor Texts To Teach Writing In Kindergarten, First And Second Grades, Mary Heeringa

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to research and analyze high quality fiction and nonfiction texts to be used as mentor texts to teach writing in kindergarten, first and second grades. The researcher created a checklist and a table to analyze 81 different texts and then selected 29 to be used as mentor texts to assist in teaching opinion/persuasive, narrative and informational writing. Annotated bibliographies for the 29 texts were written and include how the texts can be used to teach writing in a classroom and/or library setting.

Ballymaloe Cookery School: A Study Of The Business And Its Local Impact, Keelin Tobin

Theses

The focus of this research is Ballymaloe Cookery School situated in East Cork, Ireland. This study seeks to understand the emergence of the cookery school, how this business has evolved over time and to investigate the impact it has had on the local area. Ballymaloe Cookery School was officially founded by brother and sister, Darina Allen (nee O’Connell) and Rory O’Connell in Shanagarry, Co. Cork in 1983. The findings examine the establishment of the cookery school as a family business and its attributes. Set amongst a rural landscape, close to the sea and surrounded by agricultural land, the school is …

High Borate Glasses For The Controlled Release Of Therapeutic Metal Ions, Kathleen O'Connell

Theses

Within the biomaterial community significant effort has been directed towards engineering materials that induce precise host responses, which are tailored to specific applications. However, this has also seen an increase in the complexity of some biomaterials, which is being increasingly criticised within the literature, as it is attributed to hindering their clinical utility. In this context the release of therapeutic metal ions from glass-based biomaterials have been shown to promote hard tissue repair and regeneration through angiogenesis and osteogenesis processes. Within this thesis project two separate quaternary high borate glass systems were prepared containing the therapeutic metal ions strontium and …

Clinical Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci; Identification, Characterisation And Treatment, Emma Gabriel

Theses

The work presented in this thesis focuses on clinically significant staphylococci (with an emphasis on coagulase-negative staphylococci) in terms of their isolation, identification, characterisation, and biocontrol.

CoNS are increasingly being recognised as true nosocomial pathogens yet remain under-characterised, particularly from an Irish clinical perspective. We examined a large cohort of clinically-derived CoNS, isolated from blood (n=l35), identifying them to species level. Extensive antibiotic resistance against nine clinically-relevant antibiotics was recorded. Additionally, widespread biofilm forming capabilities associated with increased virulence was detected both phenotypically and genotypically. We identified multiple species of CoNS in circulation in an Irish healthcare setting, and determined …

Suspended Sediment And Nutrient Concentrations And Loads In Two Irish Rivers, Sean T. Harrington

Theses

This thesis presents the results of new and original research on suspended sediment (SS) and nutrient concentrations and loads on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue in the south of Ireland. It addresses the knowledge gap in SS and nutrient concentration data and in particular SS load/yield estimation methods. A comprehensive database of SS and nutrient concentrations has been established. An investigation into the relationship between water discharge and sediment and nutrient transport is presented and new original relationships between turbidity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and nutrients are developed. Turbidity-based suspended sediment loads (SSL) are estimated from the continuous turbidity …

Carl Linnaeus: Conceited Genius Or Just Conceited?, Anah Soble

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Schizophrenia: Genes, Brains, And A New Era Of Research, Emma Hahn

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

A Lexicon For The Anthropocene: Shifting Vocabulary In Rapidly Changing Climate, Ally Fulton

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Addicted To Love: How Cocaine Hijacks Neural Circuits, James Cato

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Down In The Flood: The Pontchartrain Institute’S Continuing Efforts To Remediate Louisiana’S Marshes, Aaron Perles

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.