Digital Commons Network^™

Change Is Tradition: An Analysis Of The Passover Seder, Aviva Miller

Scripps Senior Theses

Through an examination of the origins of the Passover Seder and the Seder’s section on the four children, I argue that change and adaptation are essential components of the Passover traditions. These traditions have previously had to adapt, and must continue to adapt to the demands of changing historical circumstances. Creative adaptation that maintains roots in past iterations of the tradition will ensure that each generation feels the desire to continue passing down the Passover traditions.

Migration-Associated Variation In Blood Parasitism, Body Condition, And Stress In Gambel’S White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii), Julianna Deibel

Scripps Senior Theses

Migration is a widespread behavior in animals which both causes and is motivated by fluctuations in nutrient availability. Migration is ecologically important, as it connects areas of differing primary productivities and carries pathogens over distance. The relationship between migration and disease is complex, sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, and influenced by ecological cycles as well as host, vector and parasite life cycles. Four central migration-infection mechanisms have been proposed: migratory susceptibility, migratory exposure, migratory escape, and migratory culling. These mechanisms may yield increased or decreased infection post-migration, based on migration’s physiological tax and the concentration of pathogens along migratory pathways.

To …

Crop Water Use And A Gravity Model Exploration Of Virtual Water Trade In Ghana's Cereal Agriculture, Alexander Sessi Kosi Tette, Golden Odey, Mirza Junaid Ahmad, Bashir Adelodun, Kyung-Sook Choi

Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre

Agricultural water productivity is crucial for sustainability amidst the escalating demand for food. Cereals are pivotal in providing nutritious food at affordable prices. This study was based on Ghanaian data spanning from 1992 to 2021 to evaluate water usage in the cultivation of major cereals. It also examined the virtual water losses or gains in cereal trade alongside influencing factors. The analysis utilized secondary data encompassing the virtual water content, production quantity, export and import quantities, distance, GDP per capita, population, and land per capita of Ghana and its 75 trade partners. In the last 5 years, crop water use …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 07: Biostatistics For Parasitologists: A Painless Introduction [Parascript Approaches], Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, Lajos Rózsa

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Covers biostatistics for parasitologists and includes discussion of taking samples, frequency distribution of host individuals across infection classes, sample size, prevalence, mean intesity, median intensity, stochasic equality of intensities, abundance, crowding, levels of aggregation, parasite sex ratio, parasite species richness, interactions between parasite species, and the tool Quantitative Parasitology on the Web (QPweb).

Chapter 7 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on biostatistics for parasitologists by Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, and Lajos Rózsa. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap007

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 58: Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808 (Phylum), Scott Monks

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the phylum Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808, also called the thorny-headed or spiny-headed worms, including discussion of their general morphology, life cycles, classification, and phylogenetic relationships.

Chapter 58 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott Monks. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap058

A Growing Dome In The Clouds Of Everest: An Applied Anthropology Project In The High Himalaya, Gary Mark Lesley

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Presented is a novel approach to addressing food insecurity within a remote indigenous community situated in the high Himalaya of Nepal. The village faces challenges in accessing fresh, affordable produce, particularly during harsh winter seasons. This threatens the community's food sovereignty and adversely affects the stability of the Sir Edmund Hillary School, a site of historical and cultural importance. Through the integration of indigenous knowledge and technological advancements, this APP details a strategy to augment local agriculture, drawing on applied anthropological methodologies. The genesis of this project stems from the creative leadership of the school principal and his vision for …

“Even The Hardest Stone Can Fracture:” Racialization, Reproductive Control, And The Wake Of Slavery In N.K. Jemisin’S The Fifth Season, Elsbeth Sanders

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

When the science fiction and fantasy novel The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin won the Hugo Award in 2016, Jemisin became the first Black author to win the prestigious literary science fiction award. A departure from similar novels at the time, The Fifth Season has a strong understanding of systems of oppression and how they are built and upheld. This thesis argues that The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin follows the conventions of the neo-slave/meta-slave narrative to explore themes of racialization and reproductive control under enslavement and oppression. I conduct a feminist literary of the novel, focusing on these themes, …

No Monsanto: Exploring The Prosecution Of Companies For Environmental Crimes Under The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, And Rodenticide Act, Dr. Joshua Ozymy, Dr. Melissa Jarrell Ozymy

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Transmogrification Of Moratoria In Support Of Rent Regulations: False Steps To Affordable Housing, Shelby D. Green

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

Genetic Diversity Of Paxistima Canbyi A. Gray: Conserving A Rare Plant Species Endemic To The Eastern United States, Isaac Buabeng

Master’s Theses

Premise: The glacial cycles of the Pleistocene period likely had a profound impact on the genetic diversity and phylogeographic patterns of numerous plant taxa in North America. However, the genetic diversity of rare, limestone-endemic woody species has not been highlighted. This study assesses genetic diversity in Paxistima canbyi A. Gray (Canby’s mountain lover or rat stripper), a rare limestone endemic small woody plant.

Methods: We investigated the genetic diversity of P. canbyi using genomic Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data from 165 individuals from 14 populations sampled from across the entire range distribution. We first; de novo assembled the SNP …

Water Tent: Biotic Index Calculation, Haley Wicklein

Earth Around Us

No abstract provided.

Water Tent: Macroinvertebrate Practice Activity, Haley Wicklein

Earth Around Us

No abstract provided.

Bibliography, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Charles H. Smith.

The Climate Crisis And The Class System: An Ethical Analysis, Alia Baig

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Climate change is a concerning subject that more and more people are beginning to care about. The climate crisis is continuing to affect populations across the globe and shows no signs of slowing. While everyone has been affected by climate change in some capacity, the climate crisis disproportionately affects low-income communities around the world and, specifically, within the United States. I plan to research the ethics of the relationship between climate change and the class system and the goal o f this project is to prove the claim that the class system is the reason for climate change's disproportionate effect …

Psychotropic Polypharmacy On Heart Rate Of Daphnia Magna, Gwendolynne Miller, Brian Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The prevalence of patients being prescribed multiple medications concurrently is significantly rising, and so is the importance of investigating any interactions between medications. One common example—sertraline and clomipramine have been used together to treat obsessive compulsive disorder. Clomipramine, however, is known to cause tachyarrhythmias in some patients. The present study set out to investigate the role of this drug combination on the heart rate of a simple animal model, Daphnia magna, or the water flea. The water flea was exposed to saline, sertraline, clomipramine, or sertraline plus clomipramine, and heart rate was measured subsequently. It was found that the …

The Smell Of Fear: Responses Of Native And Invasive Geckos To Predator Scent Cues On Moorea, French Polynesia, Haley Dreisbach, Tessa Bodo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Hemidactylus frenatus, a globally invasive species, is syntopic with the native gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris on the island of Moorea, French Polynesia. The success of an invasive species, H. frenatus can be attributed to many factors and is the subject of much study. Some research suggests that invasive and native geckos may differ in their response to chemosensory cues from predators. We compared the responses of H. frenatus and L. lugubris to the scents of both a native local predator; centipede, and a common predator of geckos that is not present on Moorea; snake. While neither gecko species showed any …

Sources And Termination Patterns Of Cholinergic Input To The Ventral Nucleus Of The Lateral Lemniscus, Emily Echols

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Neurons transmit signals through an electrochemical reaction: synapses on dendrites and the cell body receive neurotransmitters, and their effect on the cell determines the signal the cell will transmit. From dendrites to axon and then to another cell at a synaptic cleft, signals can propagate, enhance each other, or inhibit other transmissions until the message is received by the target area. Understanding the science behind neural signaling and structural function begins at the level of the synapse. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) plays a substantial role in modulating neural activity in the auditory system, but for many brainstem nuclei the source …

Always Judge A Book By Its Cover, Abby Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal for this honors project is to build my illustration portfolio and to explore the world of children's book illustration. This project will facilitate my improvement in design layout, theming, and illustration. I would love to pursue a job involving children's book illustrations at some point in the future and completing this project would help me to understand the challenges that come with designing such covers, it would improve my ability to illustrate in a purposeful manner, and it would strengthen my portfolio overall.

Localization And Quantification Of Atpase, Ca2+ Transporting, Plasma Membrane 2 (Atp2b2) In The Developing Euthyroid And Hypothyroid Cochlea, Emily Gregersen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for auditory system development. Proper auditory function requires remodeling and transformation of cochlear structures during a critical developmental period. In rodent models, low TH during this timeframe delays remodeling and impacts ion channel function required for hearing to occur. TH receptors are ligand-dependent transcription factors that regulate expression of genes. Considering this, auditory deficits observed in hypothyroidism are thought to be largely the result of altered expression of specific TH receptor target genes. TH is reported to impact calcium signaling in several tissues, but whether regulators of calcium signaling are altered following developmental hypothyroidism is …

Machine Learning-Based Analysis Of Dna Methylation Patterns In E.Lenta, Tsion Tsegaye Sherbeza

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Methylation patterns in bacterial genomes, such as those found in Eggerthella lenta, take roles in mediating microbial interactions with their environment, host, and external stressors. These patterns are formed by DNA methylation with diverse sequence specificities that provide insights into the DNA sequence regulation and defense against bacteriophages. We utilize computational approaches and machine learning models to identify and analyze 5mC and 6mA methylation motifs in E. lenta genomes. By integrating host characteristics such as age, birth country, gender, and medication history, we explore 1) the predictive relationships between 5mC & 6mA methylation types in E. lenta strains and …

2021-2023 Tennessee Nutrient Reduction Task Force: Triennial Report, Tennessee. Department Of Environment & Conservation.

Nutrient Strategy Taskforce

No abstract provided.

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of July 1 through September 30, 2024.

Biomolecule Screen Identifies Several Inhibitors Of Salmonella Enterica Surface Colonization, Joseph Headrick, Amital Ohayon, Shannon Elliott, Jacob Schultz, Erez Mills, Erik Petersen

Faculty Open Access Works

Salmonella enterica is a foodborne pathogen commonly found in agricultural facilities; its prevalence, as well as increasing levels of disinfectant- and antibiotic-resistance, has significant costs for agriculture as well as human health. In an effort to identify potential new inhibitors of S. enterica on abiotic surfaces, we developed a biomolecule screen of nutrient-type compounds because nutrients would have lower toxicity in animal facilities and bacterial nutrient utilization pathways might prove less susceptible to the development of bacterial resistance. After screening 285 nutrient-type compounds, we identified ten that significantly inhibited the ability of S. enterica to colonize a plastic surface. After …

Observed Effects Of Physiological Melatonin Dosing On Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Wenli Wu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project seeks to evaluate pharmacological dosing of melatonin on the cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line in culture, using the two solubility carriers: DMSO/water and ethanol. This experiment is a component of ongoing research at the Eaton lab which will elucidate melatonin dose-response toxicology in zebrafish and a possible breast cancer xenograft model for novel treatment therapies.

Zebrafish Electroretinogram Responses, Brooke Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to be able to streamline a protocol for conducting ERGs on zebrafish from mice ERG protocol already present in Dr. Renna’s lab. The objective is to create a protocol specifically for zebrafish and to eliminate any issues that occur when transiting from a mice ERG protocol to a zebrafish ERG protocol and to obtain a light response from zebrafish retinae in differing light intensities. Dr. Renna’s lab has designed an Ex Vivo ERG system with less electrical interference creating defined electrical responses from mouse retina. The setup allows for continual perfusion of the retinal …

Compliance And Roughness In Relation To Gecko Locomotion, Brooklynn Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and …

Microglia Regulate Light Evoked Retinal Responses In The Zebrafish Retina., Brittney Moore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The primary goal of the project is to investigate the role of the interferon regulatory factor 9 (irf8) gene in the retinal function of zebrafish. My research aims to examine and compare the retinal responses of two subject groups: wildtype zebrafish and zebrafish with the irf8 gene knocked out. This project seeks to determine if irf8 knockout zebrafish lose visual system functionality before experiencing changes in retinal morphology. The primary technique to answer this research question is the electroretinogram, a commonly used method to examine retinal function. The final outcome of this project will be a scientific paper describing the …

Gait Kinematics In Sled Dog Fitness, Ashley Maio

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The sport of sled dog racing has become popular in recent years, where teams of dogs navigate Arctic conditions anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand miles, usually within 10 days. To prepare for these competitions, dogs are subjected to rigorous training months prior to the race that results in significant changes to the physiology of their bones and muscles. This study aims to determine differences in gait kinetics between female and male sled dogs. Ten dogs, five females and five males, were recorded trotting from a lateral view for three weightbased trials to simulate different amounts of weight …

The Effects Of Ethanol Exposure On Glucose And Lactate Levels In Crayfish, Mackenzie Kirwan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of the project is to investigate and determine the effects of sunlight exposure and hormone levels. The circadian rhyth, which is heavily influenced by sunlight, not only affects the amount of sleep someone achieves, but is also related to behavior and mood, and heavily relies on the body’s hormones for proper regulation. The hormones that are prevelant to the circadian rhythm, and which will be studied in this experiment are cortisol, serotonin and melatonin. In this experiment, these three hormones will be extracted prior to alterations of light exposure. Animal test subjects will then undergo treatment of light …

Climate Change's Effect On Flow Regime, Alexander Ialenti

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will test to see if there is a percent increase in non-perennial streams sampled from 2003-2021. Using data provided by The Cleveland Metroparks, sampling events will be separated by date, flow regime classification, and rain data. Current literature supports the claim that many perennial streams, streams that flow year-round, will become non-perennial streams over time. This shift is predicted to be caused by a change in rain patterns. Both the interval between rain events and the intensity of rainfall per event are predicted to increase. My hypothesis is that there will be an increase in the percentage of …