Digital Commons Network^™

Nutrient-Dependent Specification Of Threshold Weight In Manduca Sexta, Lorrie L. He

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Implementing Simultaneous Calcium Imaging And Optogenetics In Freely Moving Rodents To Investigate The Role Of Local Inhibition In Place Field Stability, Helena Yan

Honors Thesis Collection

Place cells are pyramidal neurons in CA1, 2, and 3 of the hippocampus that fire preferentially when an animal is located in a certain position in an environment. The location to which a place cell maximally responds (its place field) is randomly assigned within an environment. Place fields can be re-assigned depending on changes to local sensory cues within an environment, a phenomenon called “remapping”. Research has established that place field formation is affected by input from the local network in the hippocampus. Interneurons in CA1 are known to provide inhibitory input into place cells, but no causal link between …

Advantage -- Seeing The Universe: How Virtual Reality Can Further Augment A Three-Dimensional Model Of A Star-Planet-Satellite System For Educational Gain In Undergraduate Astronomy Education, Eliza Mcnair

Honors Thesis Collection

This thesis introduces the “adVantage – Seeing the Universe” system, a learning environment designed to augment introductory undergraduate astronomy education. The goal of the adVantage project is to show how an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment can be used effectively to model the relative sizes and distances between objects in space. To this end, adVantage leverages the benefits of three-dimensional models by letting users observe astronomical phenomena from multiple locations. The system uses pre-set vantage points to structure students’ progress through a “mission” designed to improve their understanding of scale. With this first mission, adVantage demonstrates the potential benefits of …

Multi-Label Super Learner: Multi-Label Classification And Improving Its Performance Using Heterogenous Ensemble Methods, Yujue Wu

Honors Thesis Collection

Classification is the task of predicting the label(s) of future instances by learning and inferring from the patterns of instances with known labels. Traditional classification methods focus on single-label classification; however, many real-life problems require multi-label classification that classifies each instance into multiple categories. For example, in sentiment analysis, a person may feel multiple emotions at the same time; in bioinformatics, a gene or protein may have a number of functional expressions; in text categorization, an email, medical record, or social media posting can be identified by various tags simultaneously. As a result of such wide a range of applications, …

Detection Of Spurious Deamination Caused By Crispr Base Editors, Stephanie Yeh

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Instructor Gender On Stem Major Choice: Evidence From Wellesley College, Karen Ni

Honors Thesis Collection

Does the gender of a student’s initial STEM instructor have any causal effect on major choice? Using a panel of student-by-course data from Wellesley College, I measure the effects of female STEM instructors on female student major choice. The main threats to internal validity are non-random student selection in or out of class sections based on observable or unobservable characteristics, along with simultaneity. To mitigate these threats, I employ an instrumental variable that uses the exogenous variation induced by random patterns of faculty hires and leaves within a given department and semester. My analyses find that exposure to female STEM …

Experimental Proof Of Concept For Temperature Programmed Desorption (Tpd) Implementation Of Autoresonant Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry (Art Ms), Jean Huang

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Glutamate Transporter Deletions On Lifespan In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Maya Muldowney

Honors Thesis Collection

Glutamate transporters (GLTs) remove glutamate from synapses to prevent excitotoxicity and maintain conditions necessary for glutamatergic signaling. Once transported into cells adjacent to the synapse, glutamate can be metabolized into α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) or glutamine. Since GLT deletions are often lethal in mammals, C. elegans were used to investigate the role of GLTs on metabolism and aging in this thesis. The lifespans of C. elegans GLT-knockouts (GLT-1;GLT-3, GLT-4, and GLT-5) were measured and compared to wildtype worms. A well-established method involving FUdR, a chemical that prevents egg-laying in C. elegans, was used to conduct the lifespan experiments. Results indicated that GLT-4 …

Analysis Of The Nutrient Composition, Efficacy, And Sustainability Of Bokashi Fertilizers, Nisreen Abo-Sido

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Effects Of Legume Mulching On Carbon And Nitrogen Fluxes Of Small Scale Agriculture, Emily Neel

Honors Thesis Collection

Fertilizers provide nitrogen to agricultural crops, which is often the nutrient limiting plant growth. However, synthetic fertilizers are often not preferred or possible sources of soil nutrients due to economic and ecological reasons. Agroecological practices have historically incorporated legumes and mulching into agroecosystems to improve productivity. This research investigated the effects of legume mulching on small scale vegetable crop productivity. The experiment was conducted in the Wellesley College Edible Ecosystem Garden in 24 replicate barrel collars. In each barrel, I planted two spinach (Spinacia oleracea, variety ‘Tyee’) and two lettuce (Lactuca sativa, variety ‘Romaine’) plants. In half of the barrels, …

Investigating Camp-Mediated Protein-Protein Interactions As Modulators Of Herg And Kvlqt1 Plasma Membrane Expression, Laurel Kinman

Honors Thesis Collection

Regulation of the heart’s rhythm is achieved by the propagation of currents through membrane-localized cardiac ion channels, dysfunction of which can lead to potentially deadly arrhythmias or cardiac arrest. Indeed, mutations in the genes encoding potassium channel alpha subunit proteins hERG and K_VLQT1, responsible for producing the pore-forming subunits that carry the delayed rectifier currents I_Kr and I_Ks respectively, have been found to underlie the majority of Long QT syndrome cases. hERG and K_VLQT1 have been previously shown to undergo dynamic physical interactions, and the two currents exhibit mutual functional downregulation in cells from …

“The Power Of Art To Break Despair”: The Impact Of The Kohleausstieg On The German Imagination, Anne Schnitzer

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Origin Stories: Personal Genetics Testing, Transnational Adoption, And The Adoptee Identity Narrative, Margaretta Mitchell

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Developing An Optogenetic Tool For Manipulating Protein Localization In Fission Yeast, Maahum Mehdi

Honors Thesis Collection

The stages of cellular division are regulated by highly conserved proteins, many of which are essential for cell viability. Modifying the function of essential proteins through traditional genetic approaches is limited because deleting or altering essential genes often results in cell death. Since the subcellular localization of a protein contributes to its cellular function, transiently altering protein localization can temporarily disrupt function and provide insight into how a protein of interest contributes to a cellular pathway in real time. Light-inducible dimerization modules utilized in optogenetics are tools that can enable rapid and reversible spatio-temporal manipulation of in vivo protein localization, …

Application Of Bayesian Inference To Analysis Of Dynamic Light Scattering Data To Determine Particle Size Distributions, Caroline Martin

Honors Thesis Collection

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is a technique used to determine the size distribution of particles suspended in a fluid, that undergo Brownian motion through random collision with the molecules of the fluid. When light is incident on the suspension, each particle scatters the light, creating a complex interference pattern that randomly fluctuates in time as the particles move. Over long periods of time, we can use these flunctuations in the measured intensity of light to determine the composition of the sample. This thesis develops and tests a Bayesian inference approach to this problem. The Bayesian approach to statistics describes probability …

Investigating The Role Of Physcomitrella Patens Pi4kiiiβs In Tip Growth Using Crispr Cas9 Mediated Mutagenesis, Suhaily Penix

Honors Thesis Collection

Polarized cell expansion has been observed in pollen tubes, root hairs, neurons, yeast, moss rhizoids and protonemata. Polar growth is highly regulated by complex signaling systems, where the key molecular players are conserved from system to system, but have yet to be fully elucidated. Phosphoinositides have been shown to play a key role in polar growth regulation involved in membrane trafficking and the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton among other things. Current research suggests that the regulatory phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PtdIns4P), is involved in a number of these cellular processes. PtdIns4P is synthesized by Phosphatidylinositol-4-Kinase, which may provide a point of …

Computational Modeling: Exploring How Mini-Research Projects And Classroom Activities Impact Student Learning, Shelby Kranc

Honors Thesis Collection

Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations have the potential to become increasingly integrated into high school and college level introductory chemistry or biology courses during the coming years. Because chemistry is often challenging for students to conceptualize at the molecular or sub-molecular levels, it is often helpful to model systems of interest. Traditionally these models are 2D structures or stick-and-ball structures, which are static and do not provide insight on the dynamic nature of molecules in their environments. Therefore, we wanted to study the impact of introducing MD simulations to high-school students. Interested students at an urban public high school were provided …

Evaluating The Impact Of New England Governors On State Policy Responses To The Opioid Addiction Epidemic, Annalee Beaulieu

Honors Thesis Collection

This thesis examines the role of the governor in variation amongst state level policy responses to the opioid addiction epidemic in New England. While the order of magnitude of the epidemic is similar across the region, and the states share similar features of their economies, demographics, and a regional identity and history, different policy responses to this devastating public health crisis have emerged. This thesis first examines the science of opioids and the history of how the opioid addiction epidemic began and grew, and details the differences in policy responses across the New England States. Why and how have these …

Ksu Library System Apparel & Textiles Libguide, Ana Guimaraes

Research Guides & Subject Bibliographies

No abstract provided.

Crown Of The Continent And The Greater Yellowstone Magazine - Winter/Spring 2018, University Of Montana, Missoula

Crown of the Continent and the Greater Yellowstone Magazine

Table of Contents: Questions, Answers, Solution -- Montana is Beckoning Me: Mia McPherson's Photographs -- Book Review/Recommendation: "Yellowstone Migrations" -- The Swan Range -- 68 Miles of Separation -- The Water Warriors -- The CCC in the Greater Yellowstone -- Greater Yellowstone's Coming Plague -- Field Notes

The Effects Culture And Communication Have On Businesses, Matthew Hendrith

Integrated Studies

Globalization is changing the way people do business; and because of this people must understand to effectively communicate with others from a different culture. The culture of the organization effects how the organization communicates and conducts business. Learning to understanding different cultures will help as organizational communication issues arise. It is also important to understand what causes those problems to find solutions to effectively and efficiently communicate.

Gun Violence: An Escalating Act Of Terror, Brooklyn Willett

Integrated Studies

Diving in to an ongoing problem that our society faces today: gun violence. This paper will explore different reasons for this escalating act of terror – both in schools and other populated public areas. The “why” will be discussed. Along with such factors as: mental illness and mass shooters, political views on gun violence, media effect on provoking new shooters and giving current shooters attention, and laws pertaining to firearm ownership.

Supporting Teen Parents And Their Children, Heather Lewis

Integrated Studies

Abstract The purpose of this action research project was to explore pregnant and parenting teens. The focus is a skill building foundation to help teen mothers and fathers develop self-sufficiency to enable them to become successful and engaging parents. The study includes relative research related to teen pregnancy, the role teen parent programs serving pregnant women and their children under the age of three, personal experiences, case studies, and interviews to support a better understanding of teen pregnancy and parenting. Research shows the positive impact of teenage parents and pregnant women enrolled in an Early Head Start program. By reflecting …

Prevention: The Fight Against The Prescription Opioid Epidemic, Kenoshia Hatchette, Kenoshia E. Hatchette

Integrated Studies

Abstract

Prescription opioids drug abuse and addiction has become one of the United State’s biggest problems today. This epidemic is causing major issues is the lives of many Americans today. Research shows millions are affected by this epidemic each year and numbers are steadily rising. One of the biggest factors behind the rise of prescription opioid addiction and abuse is, the fact that these drugs are perfectly legal to use and easy to get.

I researched online articles and journals to further look into the epidemic. The research shows that this epidemic not only affected adults, but it also affected …

Artificial Intelligence In Modern Society, Michael Holt

Integrated Studies

Artificial intelligence is progressing rapidly into diverse areas in modern society. AI can be used in several areas such as research in the medical field or creating innovative technology, for instance, autonomous vehicles. Artificial intelligence is used in the medical field to improve the accuracy of programs used for detecting health conditions. AI technology is also used in programs such as Netflix or Spotify. This type of AI will monitor a user’s habits and make recommendations based on their recent activity. Banks use AI systems to monitor activity on members’ accounts to check for identity theft, approve loans and maintain …

Are We Guinea Pigs?, Susan Garcia

Integrated Studies

This paper explores published articles that report on results from GMOs (Internet) and offline (non-Internet) and how it affects human body. The articles, however, definitions vary in their uses of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and the products used to tend to the organisms. I have researched some information from Dr. Edwards and from Global Healing Center, which was published in August of 2014. The information was and updated on June of 2016. Dr. Edwards, (2016) Dr. Edwards, urges that to have an understanding of the connections between GMOs and gut health you must first understand what is being done to …

Characteristics Of Inclusive Learning Environments For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Courtney E. Thomasson

Integrated Studies

As Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses continue to increase, the number of students with an ASD diagnosis in public and private schools continues to increase as well. For students with an ASD diagnosis, it is essential that their learning environments be designed with specific characteristics and strategies to be inclusive and supportive to their needs and future success. Many researchers have recognized the need for more schools to implement inclusive and supportive environments for students with ASD. This paper combines and discusses articles that explore the various characteristics of an ASD diagnosis, the challenges associated with the diagnosis in everyday …

Understanding Parental Involvement, Shayna Myers-Young

Integrated Studies

Abstract

In order to provide the best learning practices and experiences, it is important to understand parental involvement. Defining parent involvement is important in order for one to understand the complex dynamics of parent involvement. The definition of parent involvement has changed throughout the years. Today, parent involvement is different from parent involvement in the past. There are different models and levels of parent involvement. Parents can be involved in their child’s education in several ways. Parent involvement has both benefits and barriers. In the classroom and outside the classroom, a parent’s role is essential to a child. Parents are …

Factors Of Academic Achievement For Middle School Students, Kelly Geary

Integrated Studies

Factors contributing to academic achievement in elementary, middle, and high school students; is a very important topic that has been researched for many years. There have been key points that have been identified as assisting students to reach full academic achievement. This research paper will cover various topics regarding education, beginning with; students developmental stages, theories, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, gender, educators’ responsibilities, methods, strategies, and curriculum. This paper will acknowledge the importance that extracurricular activities, arts, and humanities plays on academic achievement. As well as how factors such as low socio-economic status and retention can hinder students achievement.

Commentary: Parental Broad Autism Phenotype And The Language Skills Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michelle Flippin

Communicative Disorders Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.