Digital Commons Network^™

Deriving Major Theoretical Principles From The Natural Sciences To Create A Transdisciplinary Approach For Social Problem-Solving, Mirella Berkowitz, Ava Oksenhendler, Nabiha Chowdhury

Research Days Posters 2024

The integration of major theoretical principles into a transdisciplinary theoretical framework provides a comprehensive process of evaluating contemporary social problems and creating appropriate solutions. The application of knowledge of natural sciences is integral to solving complex social problems. This process involves understanding relevant literature and theories along with finding the intersection of internal and external factors across the study of evolutionary theory & pro-sociality, environment, and biology & health. The major theoretical principles will be integrated into a framework to categorize complex social problems and test social variants. This selection process ensures that optimal solutions are advanced.

Effects Of Reduction In Social Enrichment On A Novel Rat Model Of Approach And Avoidance Orientation, Emily Feldman

Research Days Posters 2024

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a reduction in social enrichment by measuring behavioral changes in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) in male and female rats of High Approach (HAO) and Low Approach Orientation (LAO). The results indicated that at baseline, both total arm entries and open arm entries were affected by HAO vs LAO and sex. The percent change in closed arm entries in LAO females was sensitive to the social environment, whereas those in the HAO were behaviorally unaffected. The experimental LAO female group had an increase in percent change of closed …

Sinful Femininity: How The Villainization Of Desire And Curiosity In Pandora’S Box Led To Gendered Biases In Psychology, Hannah Pitkofsky

Research Days Posters 2024

Mythology has a strong influence on societal views surrounding certain topics, including femininity, curiosity, and desire. However, the images presented in these stories are often artificially crafted with implicit biases that allegorize subjectivities of femininity in modern science. This paper examines the relationship between science and culture and the ways that they influence each other. More specifically, it compares the original myth of Pandora’s Box and the corresponding psychological Pandora effect by analyzing written language patterns and examining their scientific implications. This research argues that the current usage of the Pandora myth furthers patriarchal traditionalism by institutionalizing gender stereotypes. It …

The Impact Of Improper Face Mask Disposal On The Early Growth And Development Of Tomato Plants (Solanum Lycopersicum), Minh-Hung Nguyen, Anthony Yang, Jeremy S. Serras, Miranda Kearney

Research Days Posters 2024

Disposable face masks (DFMs) play an important preventive factor in the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased use of DFMs leads to the increased load of face mask litter in the environment. This study focuses on the effects of DFMs leachate on plants with a variety of DFM (traditional, black, leopard, camouflage, holiday, and rainbow) and conditions (new and used). The mortality, shoot size, number of visible leaves, average leaf size, total root length, number of roots, root convex area, and mass of the shoots and roots were collected. The data was analyzed using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and pairwise tests. There were no …

Health Consequences Of Judicial Decisions, Sondrea Browne Low, Ellen Davis, J. Koji Lum

Research Days Posters 2024

Dickman and others (JAMA Int Med 2024) estimated that there have been 64,565 pregnancies resulting from rape carried to term in the 14 states with total abortion bans since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade. Extensive analyses of the impact of maternal stress, violence, war, and abuse on the genetic imprinting of their developing fetuses indicate that offspring resulting from rape are likely to have altered expression of a number of genes including glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1, IGF2/H19, MEST, and PEG that affect fetal growth and development and are associated with imprinting …

College Students’ Perception Of Autistic Adults Using Word Association Frequency Analyses, Olivia Cino, Diego Aragon-Guevara

Research Days Posters 2024

Autistic college students may be negatively impacted by peer stigma due to a lack of knowledge and limited understanding of Autism (Kuzminski et al., 2019). Research on autism stigma has revealed that non-autistic peers of all ages make ‘thin-slice judgments’ about autistic individuals resulting in reduced intentions to pursue social interaction (Sasson et al., 2017). Improving understanding of how non-autistic students perceive their autistic peers may be useful to inform future efforts to educate non-autistic students and reduce stigma. The aim of this study was to assess non-autistic students’ perception of their autistic peers by using NVivo software to analyze …

Reduced Intraspecific Variation In Foliar Micro And Macronutrients Among Quercus Garryana Trees In The Expanded Range May Contribute To Outbreaks Of A Range Expanding Insect, Kelly Medina, Aly Milks

Research Days Posters 2024

Due to the effects of rising global temperatures and the abrupt changes in ecosystems, phytophagous insects are expanding their ranges poleward. An oak gall wasp,Neuroterous saltatoris, has expanded its range from mainland North America to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and is outbreaking in its expanded range causing damage to its host plants Quercus garryana. Q. garryana has reduced genetic diversity with decreased intraspecific variation towards the poles. This research group collected leaves from trees that ranged from low to highly infested. Leaves were dried and ground and levels of macronutrients and micronutrients were measured. Higher intraspecific variation in nutrients were …

Preventing And Treating Staphylococcal Biofilm Infection With An Ancient Medicine, Arthur O'Sullivan, Kevin Tan, Anna Armandi, Reem Nada

Research Days Posters 2024

Before the antibiotic age, medicaments composed of natural substances were prescribed to clean, seal, and heal wounds. The De Materia Medica of Pedanius Dioscorides and the Historia Naturalis of Pliny the Elder, for instance, prescribed a combination of honey and narcissus (daffodil) for burn wounds. Liam McGuirk’s 2022 Honors Thesis found that this remedy inhibits Staphylococcus growth on bare well-plates and agar. This expanded project found that the treatment inhibits bacterial growth over several days, even when diluted in Brain-Heart Infusion medium (BHI). Furthermore, this medicament can stunt biofilms after two days of growth, both on keratinocytes (human skin cell …

The Impact Of Diet On Mood, Alexandra Schumacher, Evangeline Manolas, Hannah Rogalia, Cassie Huang

Research Days Posters 2024

Diet quality, mostly food groups, and quantities influences behaviors and thoughts. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between diet quality and mood which could be used to improve overall well-being. An anonymous online survey was administered through Google Forms and distributed through multiple social media platforms, as well as Survey Swap, YikYak, and simply asking friends and family. The survey included basic demographic questions and questions on daily diets, supplements, and average stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Pearsons’s Correlation Analysis was utilized using SPSS version 28.0. Our data proposes an overall healthier diet is associated with a more …

The Impact Of Brooding Rumination On Stress Generation In Youth, Jennifer Cunneen, Brandon Gibb

Research Days Posters 2024

Stress is a known risk factor for depression (Santee, 2023). Previous research has indicated that depression increases risk for additional stress in particular, interpersonal stress, a process known as stress generation (Hammen, 2008). It is unclear however if vulnerabilities for depression might also increase risk for stress generation. Brooding rumination, a type of negative self-referential thinking, has been identified as a risk factor for depression (Hilt & Pollak, 2013). This study examined whether brooding rumination predicts an increase in stress generation in children over a 6 month perio. Participants were 8-14 year old children and their mothers. Mothers were required …

Sensitivity Of Fever And Ethanol-Induced Hypothermia To Dexamethasone In Male Sprague-Dawley Rats, Barbara Santos, Terrence Deak

Research Days Posters 2024

Thermoregulation is highly sensitive to pathogens and can also be influenced by drugs of abuse, such as alcohol. This study determined the pharmacological sensitivity of fever and sickness behaviors to dexamethasone, a common anti-inflammatory drug, in male rats that underwent an acute immune challenge using the viral mimetic Poly I:C. Additionally, this study sought to determine the extent to which dexamethasone would also influence ethanol-induced hypothermia. Results indicated that dexamethasone attenuated Poly I:C-induced fever. However, these effects did not significantly differ based on the dose of dexamethasone administered. Sickness behaviors, on the other hand, showed a dose-dependent effect of dexamethasone. …

Long Term Phenological Shifts In Moth Communities In Central New York, Emma Foster, Eliza Grames

Research Days Posters 2024

Climate change has led to phenological shifts for many taxa. Using light trap data documenting moth communities in 1919 and 1922 in Ithaca, NY, historic moth phenology was compared to current iNaturalist observational records for Tompkins County, NY. It was hypothesized that warming temperatures over the last century would result in earlier emergence of the first brood, longer flight periods, and more generations per year. The week in the year that a species was first seen, climaxed, and last seen for each species that was observed historically in both 1919 and 1922 was recorded. Moth species have experienced a shift …

Herbicide Management Alters Fungal Biomass And Community Composition In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Erica Danae Lathers

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Wetlands provide many ecosystem services, and invasive species and their management can alter these services. Plant responses to wetland management actions are typically monitored, but less is known about how soils respond. Phragmites australis, an invasive wetland plant, can alter soil conditions, potentially impacting soil microbial structure and function. We sampled soil communities in Great Lakes coastal wetlands in southeastern Michigan dominated by Phragmites and sites that had been previously invaded by Phragmites then treated with herbicide from 2011-2017, to understand how herbicide management alters soil fungal communities. We assessed microbial and fungal biomass, fungal community composition, greenhouse gas emissions, …

Looking For Love On A Chilly Night: The Colorado Brown Tarantula Mating Season, Dallas Haselhuhn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Aphonopelma hentzi is the most widespread and abundant tarantula species in the United States. While a distinct mating season is observed, it has not been well studied and the environmental drivers for the mating season are unknown. By conducting daily surveys on a peripheral population within Southeast Colorado, between August and November 2022, I found that after the first significant temperature drop, the number of mate-seeking males was significantly higher than prior to this temperature event. Mate-seeking males were significantly correlated with a drop in the water vapor pressure gradient, a rarely used biological metric for assessing potential water loss …

Lawrence, Fall/Winter 2024, Lawrence University

Alumni Magazines

No abstract provided.

How We Created A Research Rubric Meant For Everyone: Making The Library And Its University Partners More Student-Ready, Barbara Anderson

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2024

No abstract provided.

Mcnair Scholars Research Journal - Volume 17

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Ecological Integrity Of Two Wetland Sites Within Eastern Michigan University’S Fish Lake Environmental Education Center (Fleec), Brianna Rice

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Wetland ecosystems function as reservoirs of biodiversity for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms, and are among the most vulnerable ecosystems to degradation. The ecological integrity of two wetlands at Eastern Michigan University’s Fish Lake Environmental Education Center, a bog and one vernal pool, was assessed. Plant species richness was used to conduct Floristic Quality Assessments (FQA) using the coefficient of conservatism and wetland indicator status for each species. The Michigan Rapid Assessment Method (MiRAM) was conducted as a more comprehensive assessment of each ecosystem. The bog had an FQA of 31.6 and a MiRAM: 81/100, representing high-quality wetland conditions. The …

Behavioral Ecology Of The Colorado Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma Hentzi): Activities Displayed Around The Burrow Through Juvenile Group Dispersal, Bradley Allendorfer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The life history strategy of the Colorado brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) typically includes males spatially scattering in search for a female mate in the fall, followed by female attendance of fertilized eggs the following summer. Here, I highlighted aspects associated with this female parental care. Specifically, I compared the activities of maternal (egg-attending) tarantulas to their non-maternal (not egg-attending) counterparts, as this may be a costly time for these egg-attending individuals. I concluded that maternal individuals tended to show reduced activity at the burrow entrance, however; these, results were significant in only one comparison. After weeks of this parental care, …

Guide To The George M. Austin Research Collection, Department Of Archives And Special Collections, Loma Linda University

The Dr. George M. Austin Neurology Research Collection

The Dr. George M. Austin Research Collection was donated to the Loma Linda University Department of Archives and Special Collections in 2023. The collection is available for consultation within the department, in the Del E Webb Memorial Library, Loma Linda, Ca. Many of the files have been digitized and are also available via the Universities institutional repository, "Scholars Repository."

The collection includes research materials spanning 1948-1995, primarily focusing on Dr. Austin's work on brain aneurysms and related neurological topics. The collection also contains personal and professional papers, reflecting Dr. Austin's career as a neurosurgeon, researcher, and educator.

Characterizing Human Schwann Cell Behavior Using Hyaluronic Acid Material Properties, Christine Hampton

Wayne State University Theses

Schwann cells are the principal glia in the peripheral nervous system, supporting normal peripheral nerve function, particularly in the myelination of motor and sensory axons of the peripheral nerves. Disruptions in normal Schwann cell function such as injury and disease can lead to decreased motor function, sensory capability, and neuropathic pain. Efforts to treat this do not always have consistent or favorable outcomes, so there has been an increased interest in developing tissue engineering solutions to address these problems. Studies have been conducted on various cell types to characterize the cellular response to material properties such as topography and material …

Age-Related Longitudinal Changes In Gray Matter Microstructure, Jessica Hayes

Wayne State University Theses

Measures of the brain’s microstructure may be more sensitive markers of aging than macrostructural measures. However, it remains unclear exactly how gray matter microstructure changes during aging and how this relates to changes in macrostructure. The present study evaluated how neurite density, orientation dispersion, and gray matter volume changed over a three-year period in a sample of healthy older adults. The role of age in modifying structural change within the hippocampus, precuneus, and rostral anterior cingulate cortex was also considered. Repeated measures general linear models additionally evaluated whether degree of change in microstructure between the first two measurement occasions modified …

High-Throughput Screening Of Fda-Approved Drugs For Protecting Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Against Er Stress Induced Cell Death: Implications For Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Shaima Ali Jawarneh

Wayne State University Theses

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly population, characterized by the degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The link between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and AMD is well established, however FDA-approved medications for the treatment of AMD caused by unregulated ER stress are limited and have potential side effects. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive screening of the FDA-approved drug library in order to identify potential candidates that could be repurposed in order to protect against the degeneration and death of RPE cells due to ER stress.

Methods: …

Plasma Neurofilament Light As A Biomarker Of Neurodegeneration And Memory Function In Older Adults, Youjin Jung

Wayne State University Dissertations

Plasma neurofilament light (NfL) is a promising biomarker for monitoring and predicting cognitive function and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the field still needs a better understanding of what plasma NfL reflects about neurodegenerative and cognitive changes occurring in AD, especially in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, for the optimized use of plasma NfL as a biomarker for AD for clinical and research purposes. Therefore, here I investigated how NfL is associated with memory function, the functional connectivity of the default mode network, and the microstructural properties of white matter and gray matter regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s pathologies …

Probing Microscopic Properties Of Next Generation Materials Using Coherent Vibrational And Electronic Spectroscopy, S Mudiyanselage Sachithra Tikiri Kumara Wanasinghe

Wayne State University Dissertations

The dissertation research focused on understanding the relationship between the chemical structure of organic molecules and their photophysical properties, particularly examining coherent electronic and vibrational coupling within and between molecules, with implications for next-generation energy technologies. In Chapter 2, we employed both steady-state and transient optical and magnetic spectroscopic techniques to understand the electronic delocalization in both singlet and triplet exciton delocalization in weakly bound porphyrin dimeric molecules. Our results highlight that the delocalization of singlet exciton delocalization does not guarantee the delocalization of triplet excitons between weakly bound porphyrin macromolecules. Our studies demonstrate how one can access the electronic …

The Relationship Between Mild Cognitive Dysfunction And Diabetes Self-Management In Community Dwelling Older Adults, Hossein Hafezi Nia

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background. Cognitive dysfunction is an important comorbidity of diabetes, which may reflect brain changes as a consequence of diabetes. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association between specific cognitive domains and diabetes self-management behaviors in individuals with diabetes and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, the association between social determinats of health and MCI was investigated. Design A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used to address the study aims using data extracted from the 2022 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) datasets. Participants Of the total HRS and HCAP participants, 2035 …

Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of Class Iia Histone Deacetylase (Hdac) Inhibitors, Lauren Nicole Kotsull

Wayne State University Dissertations

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins are linked to disease states, including cancer, and have become important targets for therapeutic development. Many inhibitors have been developed to target HDAC proteins, including FDA-approved inhibitors Vorinostat (SAHA), Belinostat, Romidepsin, and Panobinostat. These inhibitors non-specifically influence most of the 11 metal-dependent HDAC isoforms, which might contribute to the side effects that patients experience during treatment. The lack of selectivity also diminishes the use of HDAC inhibitors as biomedical research tools. To address these drawbacks, the development of selective inhibitors has been heavily studied. Yet, reported inhibitors are predominantly selective for class I HDAC isoforms (HDACs …

Introduction, Kimberly J. Brown, Robert A. Green

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Sexual Polymorphism And The Hyoid Bone: The Potential For The Identification Of Transgender Individuals From Skeletal Remains, Hermes M. Wilson

McNair Scholars Research Journal

The purpose of this research is to explore the potential use of the hyoid bone for sex estimation as a way to increase the accuracy in the identification of deceased transgender individuals from skeletonized remains. Being able to recognize transgender status from the hyoid bone could be crucial to the positive identification of these individuals, to provide closure for families, and to seek justice in situations of foul play. The program Amira 3D™ 2023 was used to create 3D models of the hyoid bone and to take measurements to determine whether transgender individuals can be differentiated from phenotypical, cisgender male …

A Structured Review Of The Associations Between Breast Cancer And Exposures To Selected Organic Solvents, Sydney Westra, Mark S. Goldberg, France Labrèche, Jill Baumgartner, Vikki Ho

Revues de littérature, synthèses de connaissances

Introduction

Our objective was to identify published, peer-reviewed, epidemiological studies that estimated associations between the risk of developing or dying from malignant breast cancer and past exposure to selected organic solvents with reactive metabolites, to delineate the methods used and to synthesize the results.

Content

We undertook a structured review of case-control and cohort studies used to investigate breast cancer risk and exposure to selected organic solvents that produce reactive metabolites in the body. We used SCOPUS, MEDLINE (Ovid) and Web of Science databases from 1966 to December 31, 2023 to identify epidemiological studies that estimated associations between the risk …