Digital Commons Network^™

Post-Representational Presence: Disruptive Actions & Visibility Politics In New Media, Christian Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

This text is a written component to a master’s thesis in the fine arts. It is a research-intensive text that conventionally examines contemporary conditions of politics and modes of representation, and analyzes the most innovative artists and visual producers working in these areas. However, the text also includes exercise modules with “challenges” for the reader, similar to a textbook. In the modules, the examples provided are works of my own. I also include text, images, and documentation of my own work from my MFA thesis exhibition.

Gift, Lang Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

This paper retroactively examines my own art practices during the past 3 years, including the most recent thesis project, aiming to clearer my thoughts on the concept of art.

The Gift That Keeps One Living, Scott R. Axelrod

Capstones

This long-form narrative feature article reports on the shortage of living kidney donors and those in desperate need of kidney transplants. It features interviews with doctors, transplant coordinators, patients, living kidney donors, and kidney recipients. The story culminates with my own personal experience as a kidney donor to my late dad over a decade ago. The presentation includes an extensive photo component capturing characters and elements from the story through a series of detailed portraits, photo essays, and infographics.

https://saxelrod718.wixsite.com/livingkidneydonors

Dispossession And Protection In The Neoliberal Era: The Politics Of Rural Development In Indigenous Communities In Chaco, Argentina., Mercedes Biocca

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Neoliberal reforms and technological innovations associated with the agribusiness model have led to profound transformations in the Argentine agricultural sector. These transformations, far from being limited to a central region, are expanding rapidly into areas previously considered marginal, causing major changes in the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of those territories. As argued by Sanyal and Chatterjee, the state has played a dual role in these processes of ‘accumulation by dispossession.’ On the one hand, it has created the necessary conditions for the displacement of peasants and indigenous peoples while on the other hand, it has implemented programs that seek to …

Territorial Rule In Columbia And The Transformation Of The Llanos Orientales By Jane M. Rausch, Marcela Velasco

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Beyond A Zero-Sum Federal Trust Responsibility: Lessons From Federal Indian Energy Policy, Monte Mills

American Indian Law Journal

The federal government’s trust relationship with federally- recognized Indian tribes is a product of the last two centuries of Federal Indian Law and federal-tribal relations. For approximately the last 50 years, the federal government has sought to promote tribal self-determination as a means to carry out its trust responsibilities to Indian tribes; but the shadows of prior federal policies, based largely on notions of tribal incompetence and federal paternalism, remain. Perhaps no other policy arena better demonstrates the history, evolution, and promise for reform of the federal trust relationship than Federal Indian energy policy, or the range of federal statutes …

The Role Of Yes-Associated Protein 1 In Ovarian Physiology And Pathology, Xiangmin Lv

Theses & Dissertations

Ovarian granulosa cells are the major somatic components of the ovarian follicle. Proper proliferation and differentiation of ovarian granulosa cells are essential for successful follicle development. Accumulating evidence indicates that the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway plays critical roles in both development and tumorigenesis of several organs. The present study aims to investigate the role of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) in ovarian granulosa cell proliferation, differentiation, and malignant transformation. At first, we found that nuclear YAP (active) was highly expressed in proliferative granulosa cells, whereas cytoplasmic YAP (inactive) was detected mainly in terminally-differentiated luteal cells. Further studies suggested that endogenous YAP activity …

A Role For Δ-Catenin In Synaptic Regulation, Li Yuan

Theses & Dissertations

The cadherin-catenin complex regulates cell-cell adhesion and signal transduction in epithelial cells. It is becoming increasingly evident that components of the complex regulate various aspects of neuronal architecture and function. δ-catenin is a cytosolic component of the cadherin-catenin complex and is predominantly expressed in the central nervous system. Loss of CTNND2, which encodes δ-catenin, is associated with intellectual disability and mutations in CTNND2 have been identified in autism, suggesting that δ-catenin is a critical component of the molecular machinery underlying neural circuit function. We have previously demonstrated that δ-catenin regulates multiple aspects of synaptic and dendritic development, including dendritic …

Identifying The Role Of Janus Kinase 1 In Mammary Gland Development And Breast Cancer, Barbara Swenson

Theses & Dissertations

The development of the postnatal mammary gland is tightly controlled by peptide hormones and cytokines. The signaling of these extracellular ligands through their corresponding receptors rely on Janus Kinases (JAKs) that activate downstream Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs). The JAK/STAT signaling pathway is crucial for processes such as growth, proliferation, and cell survival of the epithelial tissue, but also for the breakdown and remodeling of the mammary gland via IL-6 class inflammatory cytokines (e.g. LIF and OSM). JAK1 and JAK2, which are expressed in the mammary gland, are thought to have redundant functions. However, our previous studies demonstrated …

Transcriptome Profiling Of Cleft Palate Intgf-Beta3 Knockout Mice Alleles: Rna-Seq Analysis Of Tgf-Beta3 Mice, Kelsey White

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Orofacial clefts are the most common craniofacial birth defect with a complex, combinatorial etiology. Tgf-b3 regulates palatal fusion in mice; Tgf-b3 knockout mice have cleft palate (CP) lacking other major deformities. The genes downstream of Tgf-b3 during palatogenesis remain largely unexplored. Our objective was to analyze the global transcriptome changes and their contribution to CP and identify novel Tgf-b3 associated genes involved in formation of CP. We used RNA-sequencing to analyze and compare the whole transcriptome of Tgf-b3 alleles during palatal growth and fusion in mice.

Results: …

Role Of Ezrin In Colorectal Cancer Cell Survival Regulation, Premila Leiphrakpam

Theses & Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, mainly due to metastasis to the distant organ sites. However, the molecular basis of CRC metastasis is poorly understood. Therefore, identification and characterization of novel potential anti-cancer therapeutic targets CRC is of urgent need. Utilizing a 2D-DIGE proteomics approach ezrin was identified as a protein that is differentially expressed between primary colon tumors xenografts, orthotopically implanted in athymic nude mice, and corresponding and liver metastatic deposits. Ezrin, a cytoskeletal protein belonging to the ezrin–radixin–moesin (ERM) family plays important roles in cell motility, invasion …

Metabolic Reprogramming Of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells In Response To Chronic Low Ph Stress, Jaime Abrego

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal of all cancers with a 5-year survival rate of only 8.2%. This is because PDAC is diagnosed in its advanced stages and is characterized by radio and chemotherapy resistance. Aggressiveness of PDAC tumors is attributed to its high metabolic phenotype, which is characterized by increased glycolysis rate and lactate secretion, while oxidative metabolism is reduced. These metabolic features are required to fulfill the biosynthetic demands of proliferating PDAC cells. However, this increase in metabolic activity results in acidification of the extracellular space because the dense fibrotic stroma of PDAC tumors limits …

Role Of Transforming Growth Factor (Tgf) – Β Signaling In Craniofacial Development, Malignancies And Regeneration, Jingpeng Liu

Theses & Dissertations

The transforming growth factor (TGF) – β signaling pathway regulates a diversity of fundamental cellular processes such as cell growth and proliferation, cell differentiation, migration, apoptosis and other biological functions, both during embryogenesis and in adult tissue homeostasis. TGF-β is known to play a critical role in palatal development as in TGF-β knockout murine models, TGF-β deficiency causes cleft palate, a common craniofacial deformity in humans due to the abnormality of growth, elevation or fusion of the two palatal shelves. In order to investigate the mechanisms of how TGF-β regulates palatogenesis, we generated TGF-β3 knockout (-/-) murine models, performed systematic …

Lee V. Willow Creek Ranch Estates No. 2 Subdivision Homeowners' Association, Inc. Clerk's Record Dckt. 45390

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

Oh Baby! Evaluating The Impact Of Blossom's Natural Childbirth Prep Course On Women's Childbirth Experience, Florence Oxenham

Master's Projects and Capstones

The United States has some of the highest rates of maternal morbidity and mortality among developed countries. Comprehensive childbirth education is an important component of improving maternal health outcomes. This project was a pilot evaluation of a childbirth education course offered by Blossom Birth Services, a community-based non-profit organization providing resources for new and expectant families in the San Francisco Bay Area. A 41-item survey questionnaire was developed and administered to explore the impact of Blossom’s Natural Childbirth Prep course on women’s knowledge, feelings, and sense of self-efficacy regarding childbirth. Likert scales were used and thematic analysis of qualitative data …

Constitutional Reform: Decolonization In The Comoros Islads, Nicholas A. Daou

Capstone Collection

Since its independence in 1975 the Union of Comoros has seen a great deal of political upheaval as a part of its decolonization process. This study examines the period between 1975 and 2001 with special emphasis on the 1997 Secession Crisis and the methods by which that crisis was resolved. The literature review is composed of predominantly native Comorian authors, supplemented by several French authors and information from international organizations. The events and literature are also examined through the lenses of the psychoanalytical group identity theory of Vamik Volkan and the Conflict Transformation work of Johan Galtung. Data regarding attitudes …

Acquisition Of Aquatic Motor Skills Through Children’S Motor Stories, Juan Antonio Moreno Murcia, Elisa Huescar Hernandez, Jose Antonio Richart Parra

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

An increasing interest in the renewal of traditional recreational content and the use of the aquatic environments as educational resources is supported by very few empirical, evidence-based studies that link the two. This quasi-experimental study analyzed the role of stories in influencing perceived motor competence and real motor skills in seventy-eight children ages between 4 and 5 years through the administration of two questionnaires on aquatic motor ability and aquatic motor competence. Differences were found in aquatic motor competence (p < .01) and aquatic motor ability (p < .05) for the experimental group, where higher means values were obtained after the intervention. We present this methodological proposal as a useful educational tool for early childhood stimulation with achievements that go beyond motor progress itself.

Guns And Sorcery: Raiding, Trading, And Kanaima Among The Makushi, James Andrew Whitaker

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Raiding, trading, and sorcery are historically-interrelated phenomena among the Makushi Amerindians in Guyana. Colonial documents reveal that the Makushi were heavily targeted during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries by Luso-Brazilian and Amerindian slavers. The form of such slaving frequently fluctuated between raiding and trading and formed a nexus around which practices of sorcery came to be centred. A connexion between the historical positions of the Makushi as victims of slaving and practitioners of kanaima sorcery has been identified by Neil Whitehead, who hypothesized that kanaima practices gained socially-sanctioned applications as the introduction of guns led to transformations in traditional …

Cosmology Performed, The World Transformed: Mimesis And The Logical Operations Of Nature And Culture In Myth In Amazonia And Beyond, Deon Liebenberg

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

By analyzing myths from around the world to build an argument regarding the relation between cosmology and community, Amazonian myths are set within a broader set of mythic imageries. Lévi-Strauss showed how a structural description of myth should fully incorporate the entire set of variant arrangements through which its elements or terms could be related to one another. Despite the criticism to which his approach has been subject, the notion that certain kinds of logical operations could be gleaned in the organization of myth continues to yield valuable insights. In this paper, I contend that the mimetic representation of empirically …

Radical Territories In The Brazilian Amazon: The Kayapó’S Fight For Just Livelihoods By Laura Zanotti, Diego Soares Da Silveira

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

“The Price Of Their Blood And Of Your Independency”: The Social And Economic Disparities Within The Connecticut Line, Ernest Lucian Andreoli Iii

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

For decades, historians have debated the extent of the social and economic divisions within the Continental Army. Middling, as well as poverty-stricken farmers and mechanics were at the heart of the American Revolution, and were the daring laborers that eventually comprised the majority of the Continental Army. Although no scholar has undertaken a comprehensive analysis on the social and wealth distribution of the Connecticut Line, I did so by constructing a set of case studies on Connecticut soldiers, unveiling the impact of rationing techniques on low-to-middle income soldiers, incorporating why market forces effected the financial security of Connecticut Continentals, as …

Discharge By 11:00 Am And The Effects On Throughput, Gena Bravo

Master's Projects and Capstones

This Clinical Nurse Leader project aims to improve the discharge process to increase the percentage of patients discharged before 11:00 AM on the Progressive Care Unit (PCU). One evidence-based approach to help alleviate capacity constraints in the hospital is to create an effective and timely discharge process. The goal of this project is to educate the front line staff, care coordinators, and providers to a standardized discharge process. The PCU is a cardiac telemetry unit with 30 private rooms. The patients on the PCU are post-cardiac surgery with some overflow medical patients throughout the unit. Kotter’s theoretical framework was chosen …

Health Starts In The Home: An Assessment Of Efforts To Improve Occupant Health Through Healthy Building Materials In San Francisco’S Affordable Housing, Staci Hoell

Master's Projects and Capstones

Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, and much of this time is spent at home, surrounded by building materials that typically have added chemicals like flame retardants, highly fluorinated compounds, and antimicrobials. Recent research has linked these chemicals to adverse health outcomes such as asthma, endocrine disruption, cancer, neurodevelopmental issues, and reproductive problems (Bayer et al., n.d.; Green Science Policy Institute). Furthermore, these chronic health conditions disproportionately affect low-income populations. Fortunately, substantial efforts in research, practice, and policy are working to reduce the use of these potentially harmful chemicals in building materials, particularly in San Francisco’s affordable housing sector. …

Dancing At My Desk: Examining The Foundations Of A Nonprofit Dance Education Organization, Caeli Koizumi

Honors Thesis

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, the demand for further development in arts education has grown. In California, the Visual and Performing Arts have been mandated components of education since 2001; yet, students often experience limited and inconsistent access to the arts due to budget cuts. Thus, the need for a specialized approach to synthesizing the arts and education is imminent. Arts Integration, a pedagogical method that refers to the combination of a visual or performing art with a core content area to provide equal understanding of a topic from both selected fields, is sprinkled throughout primary …

Novel Therapeutic Strategies For Treatment Of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Matthew A. Ingersoll

Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most commonly diagnosed solid tumor and is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in United States men. While androgen deprivation therapy is the current standard-of-care treatment for metastatic PCa, most patients eventually relapse and develop castration-resistant (CR) tumors, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Therefore, synthesis of novel therapeutic agents and identification of alternative target proteins are necessary to improve treatment. Herein, I investigate the efficacy of novel imidazopyridine and statin derivatives as alternative therapeutic compounds. These molecules not only inhibit androgen receptor signaling, but also block activation of the AKT axis, …

A Generalized Biophysical Model Of Transcription Factor Binding Specificity And Its Application On High-Throughput Selex Data, Shuxiang Ruan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The interaction between transcription factors (TFs) and DNA plays an important role in gene expression regulation. In the past, experiments on protein–DNA interactions could only identify a handful of sequences that a TF binds with high affinities. In recent years, several high-throughput experimental techniques, such as high-throughput SELEX (HT-SELEX), protein-binding microarrays (PBMs) and ChIP-seq, have been developed to estimate the relative binding affinities of large numbers of DNA sequences both in vitro and in vivo. The large volume of data generated by these techniques proved to be a challenge and prompted the development of novel motif discovery algorithms. These algorithms …

Traditional Ecological Knowledge In Collaborative Forest Restoration In The Sierra Nevada, Michael Boero

Master's Theses

Forest restoration in the Sierra Nevada is receiving increased attention due to climate change, increasing populations in the wildland-urban interface, and the historical mismanagement of some forests, evidenced in part by the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires in recent years. In response to an urgency to implement restoration in the absence of consensus on the best ways to proceed, public land managers practice collaborative management approaches to ameliorate antagonism between stakeholders and allow restoration projects to proceed when agreement is difficult to achieve. Stakeholders often include representatives from local community groups, environmental organizations, private industry, and—notably—tribal groups, who hold …

Gavin Douglas's Aeneados: Caxton's English And 'Our Scottis Langage', Jacquelyn Hendricks

Studies in Scottish Literature

Discusses the Scots poet Gavin Douglas's translation of Virgil's Aeneid into Scots, and Douglas's treatment of his predecessor William Caxton's translation of Virgil into English, arguing that Douglas associates Caxton's English with a barbaric world of monsters and beasts, in contrast to Scots which is seen as expressing civilized classical values, and that Douglas's translation, by enhancing and showcasing the literary power of Scots for a wider audience, successfully resisted for at least forty years the linguistic standardization initiated by the burgeoning print industry.

Beattie's The Minstrel: A Missing Link In Scottish Poetry, Ian C. Robertson

Studies in Scottish Literature

Discusses the Scottish poet James Beattie's poetry, especially his major work The Minstrel, and his shorter poem in Scots, "To Mr Alexander Ross," in terms of his connections, role and influence within the Scottish poetry and culture of the mid- to late 18th century, arguing that without taking into account Beattie's complex relationship to Scottish, and specifically Aberdonian, culture, the development of 18th century Scottish poetry between Ramsay and Burns cannot be adequately understood.

Immigrant Communities, Cultural Conflicts, And Intermarriage In Ann Marie Di Mambro's Tally's Blood, Ian Brown

Studies in Scottish Literature

Discusses the stage history, structure and themes of Anne Marie Di Mambro’s play Tally’s Blood (1990), especially in terms of the cultural stresses on Italian immigrant families in Scotland in the 1930s and the impact on them of the Second World War.