Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of The Vibrio Cholerae Type Vi Secretion System During Kin Cell Interaction, Biofilm Formation And Priority Effects, Karen A. Castro

Dissertations and Theses

Vibrio cholerae’s Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is one of the arsenals used by the bacteria for its long-term survival in different environments, against a variety of opponents, and for its maintained pathogenicity in vulnerable regions of the world. Therefore, the more we understand about the activity of the T6SS, the closer we get to understanding its role in bacterial competition; inter-and-intra, and how this shapes a bacterial niche. Further, although the probiotic-like effect in the V. cholerae vaccine is described to work fast due to niche uptake hindering colonization of toxigenic strains, it is not yet clear if there …

The Character Of The Narrator: The Historiography Of Hernan Diaz's Trust And Valeria Luiselli's Lost Children Archive, Sean Mcdonaugh

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Dostoyevsky And Wright On Becoming The Underground Man, Zain Alam

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the parallels between Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground and Richard Wright's The Man Who Lived Underground, focusing on their shared use of the "Underground Man" archetype to critique philosophical and societal structures. Dostoyevsky's Underground Man embodies the contradictions of Determinism and Rational Egoism in 19th-century Russia, exposing the flaws of these ideologies through satire. In contrast, Wright recontextualizes this character to address racial injustice in mid-20th-century America, using Fred Daniels' descent into a literal underground to highlight systemic oppression. By comparing these works, the thesis demonstrates how both authors utilize the underground as a metaphorical space …

Virginia Woolf & The Ontology Of The Swerve, Brandon Borcoman

Dissertations and Theses

This paper attempts to show how Lucretius' ontology of the swerve, or clinamen, influenced Virginia Woolf's writing. By using Gilles Deleuze, Michel Serres and likeminded theorists, the idea is to not only explicate Lucretian thought, but to also succinctly incorporate it into the Woolfian oeuvre.

America’S Enabler: How Colson Whitehead’S The Underground Railroad Contributes To Racial Inertia, Cherif Ba

Dissertations and Theses

Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad was met with near universal acclaim and enjoys regard as an important work which illustrates the difficulty and horror that was black life under chattel slavery. This essay argues that despite the work’s stated purpose, its ultimate, if unintended effect is to reify the current racial hierarchy. Drawing primarily from current events and an Afropessimist framework, I attempt to illustrate how this work, and others like it, occupy a specific space in the cultural zeitgeist bent to a specific purpose: obfuscating contemporary liberalism’s current transgressions from its past ones and maintaining a social stratum with …

From Bushwick To Portland: Bori Girls Of The Diaspora Revolutionizing The Puerto Rican Coming-Of-Age Narrative, Lily V. Alvarado

Dissertations and Theses

Trailblazing Puerto Rican women in the diaspora have challenged dominant imagery and fought against patriarchy, U.S. imperialism, and white supremacy through their writing. Writers like Esmeralda Santiago and Nicholasa Mohr have transformed the literary canon via the bildungsroman, highlighting the unique struggles of Boricua girlhood and proving that our stories matter. Two prominent female Boricua writers today, Elisabet Velasquez and Gabby Rivera, have raised the baton that has been passed down to them and revolutionized the Diasporican literary canon. In their respective texts, When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel and Juliet Takes a Breath, Velasquez and Rivera highlight the …

An Excavation Of Margaret And Jerry Morgan: How The Architecture Of Black Liminal Spaces Shaped Antebellum Conflict Between Maryland And Pennsylvania, Felicia A. Appenteng

Dissertations and Theses

In the 1830s, Jerry and Margaret Morgan and their six children were living as a free Black family in rural Pennsylvania, one of a growing number of such families in a part of the state that bordered Maryland. Suddenly, their lives were violently disrupted in 1837 when a group of men from Maryland, led by Edward Prigg, entered into Pennsylvania to seize Margaret and the children so that they could be enslaved. Although the most dramatic, this was only the latest twist in the unusual lives of the Morgan family. Jerry Morgan was born into enslavement, gained his freedom, and …

Torricelli's Law And The Turn-Up Number, Bianca K. Hampel

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate Torricelli's differential law for solids of revolution. Computing the ratio of times of drainage under the same circumstances (same existing requirements) but rotating the solids 180 degrees allows us to define a "Torricelli turn-up number" associated with the solid. For various solids, we calculate this turn-up number and construct solids that are not symmetric under the 180-degree rotation but with a turn-up number of 1. That allows us to construct nonsymmetric clepsydra.

Signature Moves? An Environmental Scan Of The Intersection Between Educational Development And Sotl, Laura Cruz, Hillary H. Steiner, Clare Cruz

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Although the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has been described as the signature pedagogy of educational development (a professional field focused on support for teaching and learning in higher education), there is little systematic evidence of the scale and scope of the SoTL support practices that centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) are currently using, how they are using them, and how these practices connect across the ecosystem of higher education. To understand the evolving intersection between educational development and SoTL, we used web scraping/content analysis to explore the current state of SoTL support at U.S.-based CTLs (as reflected …

Faculty And Student Perspectives Of Critical Pedagogies Of Care In An Arabian Gulf Liberal Arts University, Noora Shuaib

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Culturally and historically sensitive material and highly diverse student bodies challenge educators in the higher education classroom. Transformative and empowering pedagogies address how different types of learners may experience sensitive material. Critical pedagogies of care create supportive educational environments, compassionate teaching practices, and empower students through diversified content. Pedagogies of discomfort, a subset of pedagogies of care, push educators and students to leave their comfort zones, recognize the non-neutrality of educational processes, and confront the discomfort of challenging knowledge. When applied correctly, these pedagogies promote critical thinking and transformative action, and counter the neoliberal and white supremacist values that often …

Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …

Seagrassnet Monitoring Program 2024 - 2028: Quality Assurance Project Plan, Trevor Mattera, Lara Martin, Nathaniel Gruen, Kalle Matso, David Burdick

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming Democracy: Examining Disenfranchisement Laws And Policy Recommendations To Restore Voting Rights For Formerly Incarcerated People, Maeve Conte

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the disenfranchisement of formerly incarcerated people and the steps by which they can participate in civic society again. It delves into the history of these laws, both in the United States and abroad, and the philosophies behind disenfranchisement. It then uses Florida’s Amendment 4 as a case study in current debates surrounding voting rights. After a literature review on voting, it assesses the voting population inside prisons in states that allow it and includes policy recommendations for these states. This thesis also applies interventions from the literature review to reduce the cost for formerly incarcerated people. Ultimately, …

The Role Of Genetic Factors In Primary Hyperhidrosis, Audrey Yoon

CMC Senior Theses

Primary Hyperhidrosis (HH) is a disorder characterized by excessive sweating in focal areas, such as the palms, soles, craniofacial and axillary region. Over 2% of the world’s population is affected by some form of HH and often report low quality of life scores (QOLs) due to its physical and psychological effects. Current treatments, burdened with side effects and varying success rates, call for a more effective approach. This paper proposes a genome-wide analysis study (GWAS) to identify any genes and loci that are significantly associated with primary HH. Following the results of the GWAS, a subsequent gene knockout experiment is …

Modelling And Optimization Of Rice Production In Nigeria: Bibliometric Analysis And Future Research, Daniel Dzarma Ezra, Ngutor Nyor, Guy Degla

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Rice production plays a vital role in enhancing employment opportunities, GDP, and food security, thereby contributing to the prosperity of the country. This study aimed to evaluate the current state of research in the field and identify potential areas for future modeling and optimization of rice production. Data were sourced from the reputable academic citation database and research tool, Web of Science, spanning the period from 2012 to May 2023. Bibliometric software, such as Bibliometrix or Biblioshiny, was employed for data analysis. The analysis revealed insights such as 4058 authors contributing to 1965 articles published across 188 journal sources. The …

Understanding The Impacts Of Extreme Weather On The Power Transmission Infrastructure: A Machine Learning Approach To Quantifying Risks And Enhancing Grid Resilience, Juan P. Montoya Rincon

Dissertations and Theses

This doctoral dissertation focuses on the resilience of power transmission infrastructure in tropical coastal environments, particularly in the face of extreme weather events such as hurricanes. The research is anchored on the case of the passage of Hurricane Maria in the Island of Puerto Rico in September of 2017 which caused the largest damage on the power infrastructure in US history. As such, the research investigates the interaction between extreme winds and power transmission infrastructure in complex terrain, aiming to quantify and predict power loss and damage to the infrastructure during such events. The study employs a comprehensive approach combining …

Cross-Regional Transferability Of Ai Crop-Type Mapping: Insights And Challenges, Valinho Antonio, Geoffrey Kimani, Eric Umohoza, Moise Busogi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Accurate crop discrimination is vital for effective agricultural planning and sustainability management, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where small-scale farming predominates and ground data is scarce. Conducting field surveys in SSA is challenging due to labor and cost constraints, as well as logistical and political barriers. This paper explores the feasibility of transferring crop-type classification models between regions with similar crops. Utilizing data from Baraouéli and Karamoja, collected from Source Cooperative, we trained multi-layer perceptron (MLP), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers using Sentinel-2 imagery. These models were then evaluated and applied to cross-crop type …

Isolation, Identification And Characterization Of Phyllosticta Citricarpa Causing Citrus Black Spot Disease In Benin., Goudjo Habib Toessi, Rachidatou Sikirou, Elisée Georges Dadé Ler-N’Ogn Amari, Oumarou Zoéyandé Dianda, Issa Wonni, Mustapha El Bouhssini

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Citrus black spot is a major constraint to citrus production in Benin. Identification of the pathogen causing citrus black spot disease was carried out in the laboratory on symptomatic fruits. Fruit samples were collected from orchards in 4 citrus-growing agro-ecological zones. A total of 66 representative isolates of Phyllosticta sp. were obtained from isolation. Molecular analysis using PCR of the nucleotide sequences of the ITS regions with universal primers ITS1/ITS4 and specific primers GcF1/GcR and the phylogenetic tree showed that the sequences of all isolates obtained in the different agroecological zones were identical to those of Phyllosticta citricarpa. The …

Divorce As A Growth Process: Marital Separation And Separation-Individuation In Adulthood, Anna Egleson

Dissertations and Theses

Research has focused on the negative effects that divorce has on divorcees, on children of divorced parents, and on society. Research has also shown however that many individuals who go through a divorce emerge happier, more content and satisfied with their choice, even though the process was a painful one. Despite this evidence, there is a gap in the research looking at positive, and growth-related experiences of those who have recently gone through a divorce. Theoretical arguments and clinical observations provide a foundation to support the idea that there is a relationship between separation-individuation in adulthood and the internal shifts …

Roadmaps To Post-Communist Neoliberalism: The Case Of The Baltic States, Jokubas Salyga

Political Science Faculty Publications

This article uncovers the pre-1991 origins of Baltic neoliberal regimes. It highlights the role of the communication networks between reformist economists in the Baltic National Fronts and social forces advocating neoliberalism in Scandinavia and the United States. We assert that those networks functioned as the early carriers of ideational and policy change, even if reform contents were authored by domestic rather than transnational agencies. Firstly, the article previews the structural factors conducive to network formation. Secondly, it examines the networks by highlighting cross-national differences. Finally, it chronicles the idiosyncratic paths of neoliberal reformers’ ascendance to the positions of influence.

Arden 2024, Elizabeth Woods, Maddie Ginter

The Arden

An amalgamation of creative student works. Items contained include, but are not limited to, art, photography, short stories, prose, poetry, and other avenues of creative composition.

“Senator . . . I’M Singaporean!”: Privacy Regulation And Data Transfers In Cross-Border Corporations, Michelle Norris

Chapman Law Review

A recent congressional hearing involving social media companies, including TikTok and Facebook, made headlines when Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas grilled the TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, repeatedly asking him if he had ties to China or its Communist Party. The Singaporean CEO, who has served as TikTok’s CEO since 2021, repeatedly replied, “Senator . . . I’m Singaporean!” While Senator Cotton, evoking McCarthy-era sentiments, was severely criticized for his racism and what appears to be a lack of understanding about corporate governance, another problem emerged.

TikTok, which is a subsidiary of the Chinese-owned ByteDance, operates in countries around the …

Instructions To Authors, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Business Meeting Report (Secretary's And Treasurer's Report), Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Journal Of The Arkansas Academy Of Science Volume 78, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Grass Rejection By Capybaras Can Be Used As A Possible Strategy To Mitigate Road Accidents, André Luiz Gama Nogueira, Sérgio Luiz Gama Nogueira-Filho, Selene Siqueira Da Cunha Nogueira, Denis Sato, Natasha Camilo Maximiano Da Silva, Lilian Elgalise Techio Pereira, Michael Mendl, Adroaldo José Zanella

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feeding management can be a good strategy for avoiding wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs), which are a worldwide concern. In this study, we aimed to identify grass species that capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) reject as feeding material. These species could be planted to make roadsides less attractive to capybaras and, consequently, decrease WVCs involving this species. We planted 3 grass species (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, B. hybrid Mavuno, and Zoysia japonica) in 4 blocks, applying a randomized-complete blocks design. The first 2 species we assumed would be rejected, since some animals do not consume them due to their high …

How Do Daily Survival Rates Of Nests Change During The Incubation Period For Ducks Nesting On Great Salt Lake Marshes?, Mark E. Bell, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We examined how daily survival rates (DSRs) of duck nests change over the course of the incubation period using cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and gadwalls (Mareca strepera) nesting in the marshes around Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. Cameras observed 138 nests, allowing us to know the exact day when chicks hatched or nests were depredated. We measured the course of the incubation period based on 3 different time scales: (1) days since we first located the nest, (2) embryo age, and (3) ordinal day. We tested 3 hypotheses about the relationship …

Survival Of Translocated Coyotes In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Usa, Charlotte R. Milling, Chris Anchor, Stanley D. Gehrt

Human–Wildlife Interactions

For nuisance animals, the general public perceives translocation to be a humane alternative to lethal control measures, but survival of translocated wildlife is often quite low due in part to increased movement post-release. Thus, for common species whose relocation generally serves a social rather than conservation purpose, translocation might not be correctly characterized when presented as nonlethal. We quantified release site fidelity and survival of coyotes (Canis latrans) fitted with very high frequency radio-collars and translocated within the Chicago Metropolitan Area, Illinois, USA, from 2000 to 2006. We also compared survival for 14 weeks post-collaring for our translocated …

Correcting Federal Rule Of Evidence 404 To Clarify The Inadmissibility Of Character Evidence, Hillel J. Bavli

Fordham Law Review

Courts misinterpret Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b)(2) as an exception to Rule 404(b)(1)’s prohibition on character evidence rather than a mere clarification that emphasizes the permissibility of other-acts evidence whose relevance does not rely on propensity reasoning. This misinterpretation turns the rule against character evidence on its head by effectively replacing Rule 404 with a Rule 403 balancing—and one that incorrectly treats character inferences as probative rather than prejudicial, thereby favoring admissibility rather than exclusion. Consequently, as currently interpreted, Rule 404(b)(2) generates substantial unpredictability and verdicts based on conduct not at issue in a case.

I therefore propose that the …

Psychedelics, Psychosocial Support, And Psychotherapy: Why It Matters For The Law, Ethics, And Business Of Medical Psychedelic Use, I. Glenn Cohen

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.