Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Analysis Of Probiotic Yeast Factors And Methodologies, Mones J. Hajizadeh

Biology Theses

In recent years, there has been an expanding interest in ameliorating the gut microbiome through the use of yeast probiotics, in contrast to the general focus on bacterial probiotics. The goal of this paper is to determine trends and variations in the probiotic evaluation of the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia kudriavzevii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii across 48 studies, and determine probiotic gene homology amongst the three yeasts. Much of the literature on novel yeast strains employs various approaches to assess probiotic efficacy. In this study, the evolutionary divergence of these three species of interest was also evaluated. Furthermore, …

Mitochondria In Local Control Of Programmed Cell Killing & Resilience, Rashna Sharmin

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Specialized cells are commonplace and defined by different compartments. Organelle transport across cell compartments is critical for cell function, as in morphologically complex neurons. Specialized cells can undergo programmed elimination, an essential facet of normal development. My central thesis question asks how intracellular transport of mitochondria, the cell’s energy producers, regulate fated elimination of complex cells. I explored this using the specialized tail-spike cell (TSC) of the roundworm C. elegans. The TSC dies embryonically through the novel ‘tripartite’ developmental killing program, Compartmentalized Cell Elimination (CCE).  In my study, I defined and characterized events at the CCE initiation compartment of the …

Vol. 29, No. 1: Masthead

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Vol. 29, No. 1: Full Issue

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Ecological Consequences Of Horizontal Transmission Of Symbionts, Bibek Singh Parajuli

Biology Dissertations

Most multicellular organisms depend on their microbial symbionts for various functions, such as digestion, nutrient supplementation, pesticide degradation, and defense. While many insects acquire their symbionts vertically from their parents, thousands of species of true bugs (Hemiptera) across different families acquire their microbial symbiont, Caballeronia, from the environment each generation. Acquiring symbionts from the environment (horizontal transmission) has various ecological consequences for the host. In this study, I used the bug-Caballeronia model 1) to understand whether the free-living symbionts benefit from association with multicellular hosts, 2) to evaluate whether host specialization on symbiont strains varies across taxonomic levels, …

Effects Of Fermented Soybean Products On The Human Gut Microbiome, Microbial Metabolism, And Host Physiology, Shannon Moncier

Biology Dissertations

Fermented soybean products (FSPs) contain soybean-derived substrates, fermentation-associated microorganisms, and bioactive compounds that may interact with the human gut microbiome and host physiology. However, despite the growing interest in FSPs, longitudinal human studies specifically evaluating traditional Korean-FSPs (K-FSPs), particularly among United States-based populations, remain limited. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of three K-FSPs, including Cheonggukjang, Gochujang, and Doenjang, on host physiological responses, gut microbial community structure, predicted microbial functional potential, and fecal butyrate responses in healthy adults. Three independent dietary intervention cohorts were conducted using FSP formulations produced either by traditional artisan methods (Product A) …

Neuromodulation Of Pain-Related Network Dynamics: Effects Of Electroconvulsive Stimulation On Local Field Potential Activity In A Formalin Pain Model, Diana A. Ibarra

Psychology Theses

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an established neuromodulatory intervention used to treat severe psychiatric conditions and is known to briefly affect memory function. Given that chronic pain affects millions and often leads to opioid dependence, ECT has been investigated to treat chronic pain. This study examined how electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS), the experimental equivalent of ECT used in animal models, alters or reduces pain-related brain neural activity associated with maladaptive pain-related memory circuit representations. The hypothesis is that ECS will disrupt or reduce neural activity associated with pain-related memory circuits, potentially revealing neural mechanisms that link pain and memory circuits through …

The Anonymous Officer, Shawn E. Fields

Faculty Scholarship

(Forthcoming 2026) Masked, plainclothes immigration agents in unmarked vans have terrorized communities in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and beyond. The indiscriminate violence committed by federal officers who at times appear indistinguishable from paramilitary units has forced immigrants into hiding and left lawmakers scrambling to address a growing and largely legal anonymity crisis in law enforcement. This Article explores the undertheorized implications of anonymous law enforcement, situating the rise of masked policing within a larger project of democratic retrogression and executive aggrandizement. Anonymity in policing and immigration enforcement frustrates core democratic norms of transparency, accountability, and legitimacy, providing the opacity needed …

Police Reform As System Justification, Shawn E. Fields

Faculty Scholarship

System Justification Theory (SJT) provides a useful lens through which to critique recent police reform efforts. SJT posits that members of society tend to justify and maintain existing social and political systems even when those systems disadvantage them, because the predictability of the status quo provides palliative, epistemic, and existential comfort in what otherwise appears to be an unjust and inequitable societal structure. Contrary to “false consciousness” theories, SJT claims that disadvantaged groups may intentionally rationalize what they know to be an unfair status quo, because doing so reduces social anxiety and threat while providing much desired order and meaning …

Mechanisms Of Vascular Acetylcholine Reactivity In Cardiac Hypertrophy: The Role Of Calcium Channels And Endothelial Pi3k/Akt/Enos Signaling In Rats, Rebwar Tahir Mohammed, Ismail Mustafa Maulood

Polytechnic Journal

Cardiac hypertrophy alters vascular function and promotes myocardial damage via oxidative stress and inflammation, with calcium channels and the PI3K/AKT/eNOS signalling pathway being pivotal in vascular reactivity. Nonetheless, their precise role in acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated vascular responses during hypertrophy remains little elucidated. The study aims to investigate calcium channel functions and endothelial PI3K/AKT/eNOS signalling in modulating vascular reactivity in a rat model of cardiac hypertrophy. Aortic rings from control and ISO-treated rats were mounted in organ baths. Cumulative ACh dose–response curves (DRC) were obtained at baseline and after preincubation with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blocker, PI3K …

Identifying Relevant Covariates In Rna-Seq Analysis By Pseudo-Variable Augmentation, Yet Nguyen, Dan Nettleton

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology allows for the identification of differentially expressed genes, which are genes whose mean transcript abundance levels vary across conditions. In practice, RNA-seq datasets often include covariates that are of primary interest in addition to a set of covariates that are subject to selection. Some of these covariates may be relevant to gene expression levels, while others may be irrelevant. Ignoring relevant covariates or attempting to adjust for the effect of irrelevant covariates can compromise the identification of differentially expressed genes. To address this issue, we propose a variable selection method that uses pseudo-variables to control the expected …

Monstrous Women In Greek Mythology: Victims Of The Patriarchy, Savannah Watson, Savannah Watson

Integrated Studies

This paper is an exploration into the women of Greek mythology and how they are viewed through the eyes of the patriarchy within the original texts. The focus of the paper will be on the mythological women who are considered monsters, both in a physical and characteristic sense. The women-monster hybrids will include gorgons, nymphs, sirens, furies, harpies, and specific mythological women like Medusa, Medea, Circe, Lamia, Scylla will also be discussed. By learning about who these monstrous women are and finding out why they behave in the way they had to, the analysis will reveal how the real monster …

Bus 1950 : Business Software Applications, Business

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Genx Exposure To Pathways Associated With Colorectal Cancer Risk, Emily J. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely detected in drinking water and food sources, resulting in chronic human exposure. Among these compounds, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), commonly known as GenX, has been introduced as a short-chain replacement for legacy PFAS such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Although GenX is believed to be a safer alternative, emerging research suggests it can still affect human health.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, highlighting the need to better understand environmental …

Uncovering The Mechanism Of Reep2-Mediated Emt-Driven Membrane Trafficking In Lung Adenocarcinoma, Kevin Fulp

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Membrane trafficking is frequently disrupted during cancer progression, and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Currently, no effective drugs target dysregulated membrane trafficking for cancer treatment. Recent evidence has demonstrated that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) employs a membrane trafficking program to coordinate cancer cell invasion and immunosuppression. To further dissect the pro-tumorigenic membrane trafficking program, we initiated an in vivo CRISPRi screen to assess more than 2,000 membrane trafficking-related genes in a syngeneic mouse LUAD model. We identified REEP2, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) shaping protein, as a novel regulator of EMT-driven membrane trafficking. High REEP2 expression is …

Reep2-Driven Pro-Metastatic Secretion Promotes Lung Cancer Progression, Oluwafunminiyi E. Obaleye

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Membrane trafficking plays a critical role in cellular function and is frequently dysregulated in cancer to promote metastasis. In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activating transcription factor, ZEB1, drives a pro-metastatic membrane trafficking program; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) in vivo screen of 2,099 membrane trafficking regulators in a syngeneic mouse model of EMT-driven LUAD, we identified REEP2 — an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) shaping protein — as a critical regulator of tumor progression. REEP2 mRNA expression correlates with poor prognosis, EMT signatures, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in LUAD patients. …

2026 Lynn University Student Research Symposium, Lynn University

Student Research Symposium Programs

The 2026 Lynn University Student Research Symposium was held Friday, April 24, 2026 on the 2nd floor of the Eugene M. and Christine E. Lynn Library.

Unlucky Chapter 13, Lawrence Ponoroff

Missouri Law Review

As a social program for individual debtors dealing with financial upheaval, Chapter 13 of the federal Bankruptcy Code is a failure and has been from its inception nearly 90 years ago. It is overly complex, internally inconsistent, and the product of congressional schizophrenia. There is no eagerness to fix it and no interest in eliminating it, which are both suggestions I have offered in the past. And so, with two strikes against me, I’ve decided to take my third and final swing. Using one of the most recent subjects of judicial disagreement over the proper application of the statute as …

Counterman V. Colorado: Is Recklessness An Emerging Threat To Hate Speech Impunity?, Jason Zenor

Western New England Law Review

Many people believe that the First Amendment provides too much protection for harmful speech, as the legal system struggles to balance these free speech protections with the harms amplified by the digital era. In cases involving online threats, the U.S. Supreme Court’s true threats doctrine made prosecution difficult, as the government had to show beyond a reasonable doubt that the speaker intended to threaten a specific target. Then, in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court lowered the constitutional bar for true threats. The Court held that the government only had to show that the speaker was reckless and understood that the …

Justice David Souter And His Care For First Amendment Freedoms, David L. Hudson Jr.

Western New England Law Review

Justice David Souter left a remarkable legacy during his time on the U.S. Supreme Court. Nowhere was this more evident than in his sensitivity and solicitude for First Amendment freedoms. This essay examines Justice Souter’s First Amendment legacy primarily through his jurisprudence in three areas: (1) the secondary effects doctrine; (2) public employee free-speech cases; and (3) Establishment Clause opinions.

Granting The High Seas Personhood And Quasi-State Status, Jennifer Bass

Western New England Law Review

The Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction has now secured sufficient ratifications to enter into force. The enforcement mechanisms of the treaty could be strengthened to better protect biodiversity by granting the high seas personhood and providing the high seas quasi-statehood. The enforcement mechanism would be through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s (UNCLOS) International Tribunal of the Sea. Specifically, enforcement could be strengthened by working with other entities such as Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), the Fish Stocks Agreement, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna …

Twelve Preludes, Sarah Miller-Ross

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This set of 12 Preludes for solo piano draws inspiration from Chopin’s set of 24 Preludes for the same instrument, along with ideas from other composers and various genres to create a varied set in which each piece is centered around a note of the 12-note chromatic scale. The movements are titled based on the material that inspired them, the effect they create, or the special technique or limitation they used. A brief overview of inspirational material will be discussed, then each movement will be described through the lens of their compositional processes.

Corpus Meum, Mea Electio, Kara L. Coonrod

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The right to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom is something I hold very close to my heart. Women who did not wish to embrace motherhood, or who grew beyond the walls of the hearth and home, have been far more often persecuted than praised. Over the past two years, I have created artwork borrowing the visual and material language of the Catholic church (along with personally relevant folklore) to elevate my freedom of choice and bodily autonomy in the face of religiously driven political oppression. Using a less frequently referenced organ from my reproductive system to represent my struggle against …

Investigating The Effects Of Biodegradable And Non-Biodegradable Microplastics On Pea Plant (Pisum Sativum L.), Blessing Bisola Akinwande

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Microplastics have emerged as a significant environmental concern, particularly in agricultural soils where they can interact with plants and potentially affect crop productivity and quality. This study investigated the effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on the growth, physiology, and elemental and metabolite composition of Pisum sativum L. (pea plants). Plants were cultivated under greenhouse conditions and exposed to 2% (w/w) compostable bioplastic (CBP) as a biodegradable microplastic and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a non-biodegradable microplastic. Plant growth and physiological parameters, including plant height, seed biomass, chlorophyll content, and lipid peroxidation, showed no significant differences between treatments and control, …

Back Burner, Olga Jocelyn Shute

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

As a first-generation Mexican American, I look for alternative sources of inspiration through spiritual practices and postcolonial artwork that predate American modern/contemporary art. People of color in the US are categorized by words like Latin X, first, second, or third generation, Mexican American, and so on. In searching for my own identity, I question the verbiage that places constrictions over my body, soul, and life experiences. Compared to its pre-declaration of the lands, the United States' 250-year history is rather short. Looking at a portion of my cultural heritage, I associate dogs, jewelry, and maize with tradition, power, and spiritual …

Lsu General Catalog 2026-2027, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

LSU General Catalog

The LSU General Catalog describes all undergraduate and graduate departments and programs with degree requirements and courses offered for each one. The LSU General Catalog includes information on registration and financial aid as well as academic services offered to all students

Cyber Security Related To Agricultural Data Encryption Using Edge Computing Devices, Mohammad Ashik Alahe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smart Agriculture increasingly relies on image-based sensing, edge computing, and artificial intelligence to support data-driven decision-making in modern farming systems. While these technologies improve productivity and resource efficiency, they also introduce significant cybersecurity risks, particularly agricultural images transmitted and processed in real-time on resource-constrained edge devices. Unauthorized access, data manipulation, and interception of image data can lead to incorrect agronomic decisions and severe economic consequences. Despite this risk, efficient and practical cybersecurity solutions for real-time agricultural imaging remain limited. This study addresses these challenges by developing and evaluating encryption-based cybersecurity frameworks tailored for real-time agricultural image protection on edge computing …

Accelerating The Discovery Of The Genetic And Molecular Bases Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders In Vivo Using Breasi-Crispr, Claire Mae Kittock

Dissertations and Theses

Many neurodevelopmental disorders occur due to perturbations in prenatal brain development. More genetic variants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders are continuously being identified. However, there is a lack of understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms. Here, we describe a novel application of the technique Breasi-CRISPR in modeling specific patient variants in the embryonic mouse brain. Breasi-CRISPR is a highly efficient system combining in utero electroporation with CRISPR-CAS9 genome editing. We hypothesized that Breasi-CRISPR would be sufficient at inserting patient analogous variants into endogenous loci to be used as a new paradigm for modeling neurodevelopmental disorders. We aimed to test if Breasi-CRISPR could …

A Poor Man's Cup: Chicory Experimentation In Nebraska,1890-1900, Rebecca Hupp

Dissertations and Theses

“A Poor Man’s Cup” explores how Nebraskans actively confronted the problems of the late nineteenth-century through experimenting with new commodities. Prolonged severe drought, economic depression, and poor grain prices created a troublesome situation that grew in complexity as U.S. markets expanded globally and agriculture underwent professionalization. Some lay farmers, like Gabriel and Philomena Bazelman of Holt County, did not wait for new methods to find their way through the experiment station system and instead conducted trials themselves. Through piecing together the story of Nebraska chicory production with periodicals from the 1890s, experiment station bulletins, and Congressional reports, this thesis demonstrates …

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin (2026), Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2026-2027. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs