Digital Commons Network^™

Walking Through The Alleys Of Motza (Moẓa): Early Evidence Of Settlement Planning And Urban Organization, Dmitry Yegorov, Anna Eirikh-Rose, Hamoudi Khalaily

'Atiqot

Recent excavations at the Final Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) mega-site of Motza revealed the earliest evidence of settlement planning in the Southern Levant to date. The size of the site and the layout of its architectural units indicate that planning decisions were made throughout the settlement establishment and development, beginning with the choice of its location and extending to the organization of intra-site space. This is evident from the presence of central alleys connecting neighborhoods and open areas, alongside smaller roads and passageways linking private and communal structures, and courtyards. The high level of internal organization implies coordinated decision-making by …

Understanding Alleyways Of The Early Bronze Age Southern Levant: A View From Tell Eṣ-ṢÂfi/Gath, Israel, Haskel J. Greenfield, Jeremy A. Beller, Sarah J. Richardson, Shira Albaz, Tina L. Greenfield, Aren M. Maeir

'Atiqot

Public passageways enable people, animals and goods to navigate a built environment, allowing access to residences, shops and public buildings, and also demarcate the spheres of society: economic versus social, sacred versus profane and public versus private. Passageways also mark the arrangement of neighborhoods and typically reflect a purposeful organization for settlements. This paper explores the nature of passageways at early urban settlements in the Southern Levant, and particularly their placement and maintenance in Early Bronze Age domestic neighborhoods. To this end, it summarizes the architecture, stratigraphy and artifactual remains associated with an alleyway in the recently excavated domestic neighborhood …

The Effects Of Oleuropein In Olive Leaf Extract Alone Or Combined With Calcitriol On The Viability And Migration Of Human Endometrial Cells In Vitro, Katelyn Devereaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and is commonly associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Current management strategies, including hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, often provide only temporary relief and are associated with recurrence and adverse effects. These limitations highlight the need for alternative, non-hormonal therapeutic approaches that target underlying inflammatory and cellular mechanisms of disease progression.

This study evaluated the effects of oleuropein, contained within an olive leaf extract, and calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on cellular viability and migration in immortalized human endometriotic epithelial (12Z) …

Elevational Patterns Of Microplastic Density In The Surface Water Of Remote Mountain Lakes In The Swiss Alps, Nora Gutzwiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This novel study investigates the presence, distribution, and possible drivers of microplastic (MP) pollution in 15 alpine and subalpine lakes in the Swiss Alps. A total of 35 surface water samples were collected and analyzed under a microscope to identify and classify MPs by size, shape, and color. MPs were found in all lakes, with small fibers being the most abundant type, suggesting that atmospheric processes are a key transport pathway. Contrary to expectations, MP levels showed no significant relationship with elevation, temperature, pH, or distance to anthropogenic features, indicating that broader environmental processes likely control their distribution. However, clear …

Cognition In Pair-Living Owl Monkeys: The Role Of Partner Affiliation In The Willingness To Cooperate To Solve A Cognitive Task, Aaron J. Mencia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Cooperative problem-solving tasks, including the loose-string paradigm, require individuals to coordinate their actions simultaneously to obtain a shared reward. These paradigms have been used extensively to assess social cognition, behavioral coordination, and partner preferences across taxa. Although the loose-string paradigm has been widely tested, it has not been applied to pair-bonded, monogamous primates such as owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae), which exhibit affiliative behaviors including food sharing and bi-parental care. Investigating cooperation in this species may offer some clarification on whether more stable social bonds are associated with cooperative and cognitive task success as compared to those observed in …

My Right To Dominate You: The Populist Perversion Of Human Rights, James A. Gardner

Journal Articles

A constitutional “right” is a legal technology designed to protect the weak from the strong. In the twenty-first-century United States, however, constitutional rights have increasingly been interpreted and deployed, by both litigants and courts, to secure the ability of the strong to dominate the weak. It is quickly becoming standard practice among right-wing American populists to claim that the deployment of rights in ways that limit the ability of the strong to dominate those weaker than themselves is to make victims of the strong. Freedom, in the imagination of American populists, means the freedom to dominate disfavored others.

This paper …

What Happens After Oil And Gas Decommissioning? A Global Systematic Review Of Marine Environmental Effects, Anaelle Lemasson Lemasson, Antony M. Knights

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The thousands of oil and gas (OG) platforms placed at sea for fossil fuel extraction have introduced new hard substrate to the marine environment. Over time, these structures can become colonized by a diversity of marine life, fostering novel ecosystems. However, an increasing number of OG platforms are reaching decommissioning age and decisions regarding their fate must be made. Some view these artificial structures as litter that ought to be removed; others view them as valuable contributors to marine biodiversity worth preserving. Evidence of the environmental effects of these structures following different decommissioning strategies is needed to identify the potential …

Cupid And Psyche: How Stories Reflect Cultural Norms, Maia Porter

Honors Projects

Stories, as a whole, are retold time and time again, changing slightly with each retelling and interpretation. The story of Cupid and Psyche follows this pattern, changing as it is retold to fit the norms and values of the culture it is told within. This project examines three versions of the story: Apuleius’s “Cupid and Psyche” which is told within his larger novel Metamorphoses, Till We Have Faces (1956) written by C. S. Lewis, and Luna McNamara’s Psyche and Eros (2023). This project examines Psyche’s characterization and how much autonomy or agency she is given, how the inequality inherent in …

Persian To British Mandate-Period Settlement At Qedumim Square, Yafo (Jaffa): An Umayyad Fortress And Ottoman Street, Avraham S. Tendler

'Atiqot

An excavation at Qedumim Square, Yafo, uncovered settlement remains of the tell, dating from Iron II, the Persian, Hellenistic–Early Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader and late Ottoman–British Mandate periods. Two segments of a fortification wall were probably part of an Umayyad-period fortress dating from the seventh century CE. A late Ottoman-period stone-paved street with a drainage and sewage channel below it contribute important data concerning the urban infrastructure of that time. Several coins and large quantities of pottery retrieved from the excavation, including a few ceramic items inscribed with short Hebrew, Greek and Latin inscriptions, shed light on the settlements …

Faunal Remains From The Byzantine Street (Area S2), Jerusalem, Lee Perry Gal

'Atiqot

The faunal assemblage from the Byzantine Street (Area S2) in the City of David derives from domestic refuse accumulated on a street surface and from redeposited construction fill associated with episodes of street repair during the late Byzantine–Early Islamic periods. The assemblage is well-preserved but highly fragmented, indicating rapid burial followed by post-depositional disturbance. Taxonomic composition is dominated by sheep and goats, with lower frequencies of pigs and cattle, alongside chicken, fish and molluscs, reflecting patterns of everyday urban consumption. Caprine age-at-death profiles are skewed toward adults, suggesting herd management strategies that emphasized secondary products and herd maintenance rather than …

The Pottery From The Byzantine Street (Area S2), Jerusalem, Itamar Taxel

'Atiqot

The Byzantine street segment exposed in Area S2 revealed pottery dated primarily to the Byzantine and the beginning of Early Islamic period, including from well-stratified contexts; these finds are accompanied by a handful of Early and Late Roman period pottery types which should be treated as residuals of pre-Byzantine activity in the area. The Byzantine- and Early Islamic-period pottery illuminate the chronology of the street and some later nearby features, providing important new data on the development of the Byzantine building projects west and southwest of the Temple Mount. Based on the ceramic analysis, the Byzantine street was built somewhat …

Aspects Of Urban Planning In Bet She’An-Scythopolis: A View From Rhometalkes’ Alleys, Benjamin Y. Arubas, Leah Di Segni

'Atiqot

Intercity roads, colonnaded and drained streets, agoras and forums of the Roman and Late-Antiquity city of Bet She’an-Scythopolis—all have been widely studied, producing an ample bibliography. Not so are alleys, although they must have served various functions as thoroughfares for foot traffic or in relation to the buildings that overlooked them. These buildings could have been domestic, commercial or public, causing the function of the alley to surely change accordingly. This paper is dedicated to the study of two such alleys, which existed solely amidst public buildings, and whose story can be told based on the results of excavations and …

Roads To The Holy City: An Integrated Archaeological And Spatial Analysis Of Access Routes Leading To Jerusalemin The Second Century Bce–Seventh Century Ce, Yosef Spiezer, Boaz Zissu, Yehiel Zelinger

'Atiqot

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of Jerusalem’s transportation network by integrating archaeological evidence from rescue excavations with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis and literary sources. Three distinct development phases were observed. In the Hasmonean and Early Roman periods (63 BCE–70 CE), roads primarily served Jewish pilgrimage and were accompanied by religious infrastructure such as miqwa’ot (ritual baths), water reservoirs and elaborate tombs reflecting Jerusalem’s sacred status. In the Middle and Late Roman periods (70–324 CE) systematic road construction followed the Jewish revolts, emphasizing military and administrative functions through straight, paved routes marked with milestones, including forts, watchtowers, water …

Global Trends In Dietary Exposure To Polychlorinated Naphthalenes (Pcns): A Review Of Contamination Levels And Health Implications, Vhodaho Nevondo, Okechukwu Jonathan Okonkwo

Engineering and Technology Journal

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) belong to a class of persistent organic pollutants that are structurally related to chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and other chlorinated biphenyls as a result of the presence of benzene rings in their respective structures. Additionally, they display high levels of persistence in the environment, bioaccumulative, and dioxin-like toxicities characteristics. Although the production and use of PCNs is either banned or greatly regulated in several countries around the globe, unintentional production in industrial thermal processes and legacy usage have resulted in the ubiquity of these compounds in the environment and the food chain. Several studies have shown various exposure …

Uc-135-129 Fishgame: Mobile Hyper-Casual Fishing Game, Lauren Rousell, Lisbeth Martinez, Jacob Portillo, Jacob Miller

C-Day Computing Showcase

fishGame is a strategy-driven hyper-casual mobile game that combines the accessibility of traditional mobile gameplay with the progression depth of a roguelike. The project was developed over a three-month period using Unity 6.3 and related production tools. Following the completion of an alpha build, testing was conducted through gameplay sessions and a detailed follow-up survey to gather feedback on player experience, clarity, and engagement. Results indicated that fishGame was well received, with players reporting low levels of confusion and strong replayability. These findings suggest a clear interest in mobile games that offer greater depth while preserving the immediacy and simplicity …

Uc-137-237 The House Watches, Lisbeth Martinez, Lauren Rousell, Jaime Mcbride, Karizma Quiroz, Aidan Kleine

C-Day Computing Showcase

The House Watches is a horror-puzzle game about a boy and a dog trying to reunite after mysterious supernatural creatures, called duendes, invade their home. The game consists of two levels, each with a different mode of gameplay; level one is a more traditional item-collection horror experience, and level 2 is based around puzzles that must be completed in a limited time frame. The House Watches includes original art, music, and models, as well as a dynamic gameplay system that increases the difficulty of each level over time.

Uc-115-161 Wayward Stray: Selix, Arly Tinoco, Tyler Ercole, Ivy Stansel, Austin Lothman, Jeremi Charland-Martin

C-Day Computing Showcase

Wayward Stray:Selix is a 3rd person platformer which places importance on exploration and discovery. Players will take the role of Selix as they explore an arid desert, fighting off enemies and discovering items hidden around the map, which reveal more about the game world and its characters. Selix, a young dragon, is exiled from the only home he’s known, forced into a strange land in search of a new place to call his own. Along the way, he finds a companion, a small dove that aids and guides his way. Exploring these uncharted areas, Selix discovers there’s more to the …

Grm-157-180 Precision Engineering: Using Ai To Design Nanoparticles That Target Malignant Cells, Rakshak Gurung, Nino Tkabladze

C-Day Computing Showcase

The challenge of predicting nanoparticle distribution remain a significant hurdle in nanomedicine. This research presents a computational framework for the inverse design of nanoparticles, utilizing ML models to optimize drug delivery systems for tumor targeting. By analyzing the relationship between nanoparticle compositions and biological accumulation, the model identifies optimal configurations to maximize therapeutic efficacy. The results demonstrate that AI-driven inverse design can significantly streamline the development of precision nanocarriers, reducing the need for exhaustive experimental trials.

Toyon 68 - Full Issue

Toyon: Multilingual Literary Magazine

No abstract provided.

Hazard Vs Risk: Scientific Considerations On The Eu Clp Approach To Mocs And Whole Essential Oil Classification With Tea Tree Essential Oil As An Illustrative Example, Cecile Bascoul, Dakota Carter, Joseph Dawson, Tim Valentiner, Russell J. Osguthorpe

Oxford ICSB

The ongoing revision of the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation represents a critical development for the essential oil industry. A provisional derogation has been introduced for plant-derived, non-chemically modified Multi-Constituent Substances (MOCS), including essential oils, following sustained advocacy efforts. However, the European Commission is required to deliver, by the end of 2029, a scientific report reassessing the validity of this derogation based on scientifically and regulatorily accepted safety evaluation approaches. In the absence of such a derogation, essential oils could be classified solely on the basis of individual constituents exceeding regulatory thresholds, irrespective of the whole oil safety …

An Evaluation Of White-Spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium Plagiosum) Development, Madison Ashby, Alexa Ashby, Baylis Huckabay, Cyrus Harris, Emma Bron, Lydia Harris, Maia Dieken, Oliver Thomas, Will Chelberg

Liberty University Research Week

An inhabitant of the north Indo-Pacific Ocean, the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) is a demersal, ambush predator of fish and invertebrates. Despite the known abundance of C. plagiosum, there is limited diagnostic information on their growth beyond embryonic development and hatching. A population of this species under managed care provides a unique opportunity to chart growth from the respective stages of life such as egg hatchling, sub-adult, and adult life stages. Through this research, we set out to chart the growth parameters on three hatchling bamboo sharks from a weekly data collection. These parameters include weight (g), sex, pre-caudal …

Sem-Edx Analysis Of Animal Hairs For The Presence Of Metals, Sydney Stevens, David Green, George Monroe

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Hypothalamic And Hippocampal Neurogenesis Across Sexes And Ages Of Mice, Chloe Jensen, Madison Reynolds, Rebecca Kinyon

Liberty University Research Week

Background: The hippocampus is primarily known for its function in learning and memory; thus, it makes sense that this is a well-established highly neurogenic zone. Recent studies have demonstrated that the hypothalamus also has neurogenic properties where there were once believed to be none. Because of these recent findings, our study aims to provide baseline data pertaining to rates of neurogenesis in the hypothalamus in comparison to the hippocampus along with distinguishing differences in these rates between males and females. Methods: Using four mice, three young and one aged female, we cryosectioned the brain to image the hippocampal and hypothalamic …

The Impact Of Maternal Western-Style Diet On Ovarian Anti-Müllerian Hormone Expression And Localization In Mouse Offspring, Kati Platt, Chase Shinabery, Jackson Mellish, Madison Howard, Soriya Scott

Liberty University Research Week

The Western diet, characterized by high saturated fat and sucrose intake, has become increasingly prevalent in the United States and globally, yet its effects on female reproductive health across life stages remain insufficiently understood. In adult human females, consumption of a Western-style diet has been linked to an increase in premenstrual symptoms, higher rates of depression, and elevated free estradiol levels, contributing to an increased risk of breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women. In human female children, Western diet consumption has been linked to an early onset of secondary sexual characteristics and premature menarche. Maternal consumption of this diet during …

Effect Of In-Utero Exposure To A Western-Style Diet On Testis Development, Alexa Ashby, Colton Fitzgerald, Kaylee Vis, Madison Ashby, Marisa Halsey, Nathan Malina, Ryan Anderson

Liberty University Research Week

The increase in western-style dietary patterns has led to an increase in obesity prevalence and its associated comorbidities. Specifically, researchers have found that obesity due to western-style diet (WSD) is negatively correlated with reproductive health in men. This study investigated the effects of inutero exposure to a WSD on testis development, specifically of 12- week-old mice (young adult C57Bl/6J). We hypothesized that in-utero exposure to a WSD would negatively impact testis development and function in male offspring. Using histological hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry method, we examined spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) production by Sertoli cells, and …

Quantifying Neuropathy With Von Frey Filaments In Mice: Novel Neuropathic Pain Animal Model, Maggie Milhorne

Liberty University Research Week

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain condition resulting from damage to the nervous system which does not respond to current pharmacological treatments. Previous research in rats has demonstrated that formalin injections can induce chronic pain states and molecular changes within the spinal cord comparable to those of the spinal nerve ligation (SNL), an established surgical model of neuropathic pain. This study aimed to determine whether a subcutaneous injection of 5% formalin is sufficient to induce chronic pain in mice, providing a simple and less invasive model to study chronic pain mechanisms. Mechanical pain sensitivity is assessed using the von Frey …

Evaluation Of Cadaver Tissue Antigenicity As A Practical Teaching Tool For Immunohistochemistry, Shanice Rerrie, Jumana Rizk, Levon Shukrian, Maria Mendoza Lopez

Liberty University Research Week

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a core technique in biomedical research and is increasingly important for teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. However, teaching laboratories typically rely on animal-derived tissues because the access to fresh human specimens is restricted due to ethical concerns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether cadaveric tissue can retain sufficient antigenicity for immunohistochemical analysis and thereby serve as an effective and ethical teaching resource. Liver lobe and renal cortex samples (approximately 1 cm³) were collected from an 88-year-old female donor. Target proteins were selected for their established roles in vitamin D metabolism and their …

Various Animal Species Microscopic Hair Analysis, Bryanna Smith

Liberty University Research Week

This research aims to determine whether animal hair characteristics can reliably differentiate various animal species, a study with potential forensic applications. Both human hair and animal hair are comprised of three key components: the cuticle (the outer coating composed of overlapping scales), the cortex (protein-rich structure that surrounds the medulla and contains pigments) and the medulla (the central core, which may be absent). The goal of this research project is to document data collected from microscopic analysis of a variety of non-domesticated animal hair/fur samples, such as bear, skunk, or wolf, to determine detailed similar and different characteristics between them …

Forensic Differentiation Of Canine Hair, Allison Kelley

Liberty University Research Week

The goal of this research is to determine whether the characteristics of dog hair can effectively differentiate between canine breeds, which is important for forensic applications. While there is extensive literature on human hair analysis, there is not much to be found on canine hair, although dogs are present at many crime scenes. This research ultimately aims to gather sufficient data on a wide range of dog breeds to compile a comprehensive database to identify differences in dog hair, contributing to the discipline of trace evidence hair analysis within forensic science. The central hypothesis in this study is that specific …

Morphological Evaluation Of Cadaveric Tissues Integrity Using Histology Staining, Jumana Rizk, Levon Shukrian, Maria Mendoza Lopez, Shanice Rerrie

Liberty University Research Week

The transition from gross anatomical dissection to microscopic evaluation is essential for a comprehensive understanding of human biology. While systemic anatomy reveals the macroscopic organization of the body, histology provides insight into cellular structure and tissue integrity. This study aimed to bridge these disciplines through histological assessment of cadaveric tissues. Our objective was to determine whether tissue samples after prolonged fixation could be processed and stained to meet standards for histology education. Tissue samples of the cerebral cortex, renal cortex, liver lobe, and skeletal muscle were obtained from two cadaveric donors, one male and one female. Tissues were processed, embedded …