Digital Commons Network^™

August 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the August 2025 (Volume 4, Issue 1) Library & Learning Newsletter.

Evaluation Of A Forest Restoration Strategy On Small Mammals In Southern Pine Ecosystems, Gage R. Grantham, Jessica L. Glasscock, Christopher M. Schalk, Kathryn R. Kiid, Reuber Antoniazzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Industrial forestry replanted historic native pine forests (e.g., longleaf pine [Pinus palustris] and shortleaf pine [Pinus echinata]) to homogenous, high-density plantations consisting of native off-site species (e.g., loblolly pine [Pinus taeda]) after intensive harvesting for wood products. The contemporary forest structure that remains, consisting of off-site overstory compositions, can potentially serve as an ecological bridge to facilitate a gradual transition to a more desirable canopy species, thereby conserving biodiversity and ecosystem function. Understanding disturbance-sensitive small mammal communities from restoration strategies (retention) can help achieve long-term management goals for ecosystem conservation across larger scales. I …

Using Silvopasture To Mitigate Heat Stress In Grazing Beef Cattle, Sydney L. Lofland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the impact of silvopasture on mitigating heat stress in grazing beef cattle by comparing physiological and behavioral responses between shaded and non-shaded pastures. Twenty-two multiparous cows were monitored over a 20-day summer trial in East Texas. Data were collected on respiration rate, heart rate, heat stress scores, and behaviors including eating, ruminating, walking, and resting. Average respiration rates and behavior proportions did not differ significantly between treatments. Afternoon periods showed peak physiological stress across all cattle, but silvopasture appeared to buffer extreme responses. Although limitations such as data gaps and a shortened trial impacted interpretation, findings suggest …

Retinal Vascular Dysfunction In The Mthfr(677c>T) Mouse Model Of Cerebrovascular Disease, Alaina M Reagan, Michael Maclean, Travis L Cossette, Gareth R Howell

Faculty Research 2025

INTRODUCTION: Investigations of retinal biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD and related dementias (ADRD), has increased significantly. We examine retinal vascular health in a mouse containing the ADRD risk variant Mthfr

METHODS: Morphology and function of retinal vasculature and neurons were assessed using in vivo imaging, immunohistochemistry, and pattern electroretinography. RNAscope and proteomics were employed to determine Mthfr gene expression and differential protein expression in mice carrying Mthfr

RESULTS: Mice show age- and sex-dependent retinal vascular deficits, displaying similarities to previously published brain data. Mthfr is widely expressed and co-localizes with vascular cell markers. Proteomics identified common molecular signatures …

Mitochondrial Complex I Deficiency Induces Alzheimer's Disease-Like Signatures That Are Reversible By Targeted Therapy., Huanyao Gao, Kate Jensen, Jarred Nesbitt, Mark Ostroot, Gregory Cary, Jesse Wiley, Sergey Trushin, Jens O Watzlawik, Wolfdieter Springer, Alexander Galkin, Priyanka Baloni, Cory Funk, Eugenia Trushina

Faculty Research 2025

INTRODUCTION: Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but whether it drives AD-associated changes is unclear. We assessed transcriptomic alterations in the brains of Ndufs4

METHODS: Cortico-hippocampal tissue from Ndufs4

RESULTS: Knockout of Ndufs4-mediated mtCI deficiency disrupted mitochondrial homeostasis, energy metabolism, and synaptic gene expression, recapitulating transcriptomic signatures of AD. CP2 treatment partially reversed these changes, with female Ndufs4

DISCUSSION: Loss of mtCI activity alone is sufficient to induce AD-like molecular changes in the brain, independent of amyloid beta or phosphorylated tau. CP2-mediated rescue highlights the potential of targeting mitochondria as a therapeutic strategy for AD. Sex-specific responses suggest …

Sustained Lung Inflammation Post-Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Mice Is Associated With Increased Pulmonary T Cells., Sophie Y Guan, Patricia P Ogger, Ana Farias, Minerva Garcia Martín, Joy Nakawesi, Olivia Bedard, Candice N Baker, Nadia Rosenthal, Cecilia Johansson

Faculty Research 2025

Many SARS-CoV-2 patients experience chronic pulmonary symptoms and long-term inflammation despite viral clearance. While these clinical manifestations have been linked to the dysregulation of the adaptive immune response, the underlying immunopathology remains poorly understood due to a lack of suitable animal models. To investigate long-term pulmonary consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we used a genetic cross of 129 mice and C57BL/6 (B6)-K18-hACE2 transgene mice, a model previously shown to survive infection. 129xB6-K18-hACE2 mice or littermate controls were infected with a low dose (5 × 10² PFU) of ancestral SARS-CoV-2. Complete viral clearance and full recovery from weight loss …

Low Dietary Folate Increases Developmental Delays In The Litters Of, Karen E Christensen, Marie-Lou Faquette, Vafa Keser, Alaina M Reagan, Aaron T Gebert, Teodoro Bottiglieri, Gareth R Howell, Rima Rozen

Faculty Research 2025

Background/Objectives: Low folate intake before and during pregnancy increases the risk of neural tube defects and other adverse outcomes. Gene variants such as MTHFR 677C>T (rs1801133) may increase risks associated with suboptimal folate intake. Our objective was to use BALB/cJ Mthfr^677C>T mice to evaluate the effects of the TT genotype and low folate diets on embryonic development and MTHFR protein expression in pregnant mice. Methods: Female 677CC (mCC) and 677TT (mTT) mice were fed control (2 mg folic acid/kg (2D)), 1 mg folic acid/kg (1D) and 0.3 mg folic acid/kg (0.3D) diets before and during …

Alternating Hemiplegia Of Childhood Associated Mutations In Atp1a3 Reveal Diverse Neurological Alterations In Mice., Markus Terrey, Georgii Krivoshein, Scott I Adamson, Elena Arystarkhova, Laura C. Anderson, John Szwec, Shelby Mckee, Holly Jones, Sara Perkins, Vijay Selvam, Pierre-Alexandre Piec, Dweet Chhaya, Ari Dehn, Aamir Zuberi, Stephen A Murray, Natalia S Morsci, Kathleen J Sweadner, David A Knowles, Else A Tolner, Arn M J M Van Den Maagdenberg, Cathleen Lutz

Faculty Research 2025

Pathogenic variants in the neuronal Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase transmembrane ion transporter (ATP1A3) cause a spectrum of neurological disorders including alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). The most common de novo pathogenic variants in AHC are p.D801N (∼40 % of patients) and p.E815K (∼25 % of patients), which lead to early mortality by spontaneous death in mice. Nevertheless, knowledge of the development of clinically relevant neurological phenotypes without the obstacle of premature death, is critical for the identification of pathophysiological mechanisms and ultimately, for the testing of therapeutic strategies in disease models. Here, we used hybrid vigor attempting …

The Role Of Managerial Human Capital In Resource Acquisition And Deployment: A Study Of The Japanese Anime Film Industry, Tsutomu Doiguchi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order to integrate resource and capability perspectives, prior literature has examined the interaction between managerial human capital (HC) and unit-level human capital resources (HCRs). A substantial body of research has demonstrated that managerial HC enhances the deployment of unit-level HCRs, thus generating synergistic values beyond those realized in their isolation. Previous literature, however, has largely overlooked the role of managerial HC in acquiring unit-level HCRs, neglecting strategic factor market theory and becoming susceptible to endogeneity issues. To address these theoretical and empirical issues, this study draws on the theoretical framework of human capital resource combinations—and proposes three distinct mechanisms …

Uab Libraries News, 08/09 2025, Uab Libraries

UAB Libraries News

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Quadrupedal Locomotion In Bats: A Geometric Morphometric Comparison Of Vertebral Adaptations Across Mammals, Jessica Upham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flight is the primary locomotion of bats, while quadrupedal locomotion is not often observed and is widely variable among bats. Frugivorous bats in Pteropodidae are more efficient climbers than frugivorous bats in Phyllostomidae and insectivorous bats in Vespertilionidae, while phyllostomids and vespertilionids are better at walking on horizontal surfaces. The aim of this study is to investigate whether bats with differing modes of nonflight locomotion also exhibit disparity in thoracolumbar vertebral morphology. Using geometric morphometrics, we compared the thoracolumbar vertebral shapes of these bat families with other terrestrial and arboreal mammals. The results revealed distinct vertebral shapes among bat families …

Raptors As Secondary Dispersers Of Mycorrhizal Fungal Spores, Joseph Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Animals aid fungal dispersal by consuming fruiting bodies (e.g., truffles) and depositing spores elsewhere. Predators can act as secondary dispersers by preying on small mammals that eat truffles, although it is unclear how this dispersal may vary among species of raptors (hawks and owls) and fungal taxa. We experimentally fed four truffle taxa (with spores varying in size and wall thickness) to six raptor species (with differing gut morphology and acidity) to assess how spore viability and retention time may change between raptor casts and feces. Viability in smaller spores was more negatively affected by acidity compared to larger spores …

Hierarchy In Sensation: Exploring The 40 Hz Auditory Steady State Synchrony In The Primary Auditory And Prefrontal Association Cortices, Deepshila Gautam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Auditory processing begins in the cochlea and ascends through brainstem relays to the cortex, where sound features with increasing complexity are encoded. The 40 Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) reflects induced gamma synchrony shaped by local cortical circuit dynamics. Disrupted 40 Hz ASSR is a consistent finding in schizophrenia, linked to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction in inhibitory interneurons, making it a promising translational biomarker. While multiple ASSR generators have been identified, it is not known if these are redundant or represent unique activity. This dissertation investigates regional differences in 40 Hz ASSR across two principal generators: the primary auditory cortex …

August 2025 Annual Report, Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice At Cardozo Law

Perlmutter Center Reports

The August 2025 Annual Report documents the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice’s work at Cardozo Law during Spring and Summer 2025, highlighting major legal victories, partnerships, student clinical programs, policy advocacy, community outreach, and staff achievements. Prepared for The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, it details the Center’s efforts to address wrongful convictions, challenge flawed forensic science, expand pro bono collaborations, and advance criminal justice reform, while also providing staff updates, financial information, and program impact summaries.

A Trauma-Informed Analysis Of Legal Intervention In Cases Of Child Emotional Maltreatment, Judith G. Mcmullen

University of Florida Journal of Law & Public Policy

Child emotional maltreatment (CEM) has been recognized as a widespread, serious social problem that is linked to a variety of adverse physical and mental effects that follow affected children into adulthood. The justice system has responded to calls to action by mental health professionals, and for more than two decades, federal and state laws have included child emotional maltreatment on the list of caretaker behaviors that can trigger child protection action. Despite the potential for meaningful action, recent data shows that occurrence rates of CEM are quite high, while rates of official reporting and intervention remain low. This Article examines …

Predicting Hollywood Movie Success Using Predictive Machine Learning Algorithms, Saeed Alghabshi Hathboor

Theses

The Decision Trees are always simple to understand and interpret techniques, a single tree may not be enough for the model to learn the characteristics from. In this IMDb movie review prediction problem, evading all other simple mechanisms, the Random Forest, on the other hand, is a "Tree"-based algorithm that makes judgments by combining the attributes of numerous Decision Trees is used. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate the predictive performance of a random forest model with various parameters used for forecasting numerical user ratings of a movie based on pre-release data such as actors, directors, profit, …

Two Essays On The Role Of Anthropomorphism In Consumer Behavior, Faegheh (Faa) Taheran

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The first essay of this dissertation investigates the contradictory findings on the relationship between anthropomorphism and self-control by focusing on how everyday anthropomorphized objects, rather than the products being used for consumption, influence consumer behavior. While previous studies have shown that using anthropomorphized products may decrease consumers’ self-control, this paper examines how unrelated [to consumption] anthropomorphized objects in a consumer’s environment—such as a water bottle with a humanlike face—can evoke a sense of social presence, increasing consumers’ perceptions that they are being negatively evaluated. Drawing on mind perception theory, I propose that this fear of negative evaluation can enhance self-control. …

Ambient Environment Effect On Color Perception, Eddie Pei

Theses

The ambient environment—including both background and surround conditions—is a critical factor influencing color perception. It affects not only how we perceive colors but also how we interpret complex visual scenes, impacting both sensory processing and cognitive interpretation. This thesis focuses on three major perceptual phenomena: simultaneous contrast, mixed chromatic adaptation, and color preference. First, the effects of simultaneous contrast on hue, chroma, and lightness in traditional displays were explored. This study was extended to a dual-display augmented reality (AR) environment that introduces layered perception. An extension to the CIECAM16 color appearance model is proposed to incorporate this effect. Second, the …

A Place To Pause: Designing Ritual Space In The Domestic Realm, Elise Miller

Theses

Modern society in Western developed countries is focused on the rush and go, often leaving people feeling discombobulated from constant running around, task-oriented days and switching of roles one must play in different areas of their life, such as at home, work, socializing, parenting, etc. How can ritual bring a sense of calmness and order to lives of those on the go? Ritual studies are often only categorized under psychology, sociology, or religious studies. However, as industrial design encompasses human interaction with objects, often with an emotional quality, ritual can be studied more wholesomely with the added lens of industrial …

The Effects Of Overexpressing K2p Channels In Various Tissues On Physiology And Behaviors, Alaina C. Taul, Elizabeth R. Elliott, Douglas A. Harrison, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Two-pore-domain K⁺ channels (K2p), known previously as leak channels, are responsible for maintaining the resting membrane potential of cells. Fifteen subtypes are known to exist in humans and eleven are known in Drosophila melanogaster, as well as six subfamilies; however, little is known about the expression of these subtypes in various animal tissues or the impact of altered expression on cellular physiology. The Drosophila melanogaster model allows for selective misexpression of certain neuron subsets, providing insight into individual cell types and the animal’s physiology more generally. Prior research on the overexpression of K2p channels and the resulting behavioral and …

Research On The Use And Effects Of Freezing In Controlling Clothes Moth Infestations In A Contemporary Art Collection, Sara Thornburg

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This study investigates the efficacy and implications of low-temperature pest eradication— specifically freezing—as a method for managing clothes moth infestations in museum collections, with a focus on contemporary and composite artworks. Prompted by the evolving needs of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), this research explores current best practices, material vulnerabilities, and institutional approaches to freezing treatments. A literature review was conducted alongside a global survey of 40 museum professionals to assess how freezing protocols are implemented, what materials are considered safe, and what challenges arise in real world applications. Results show that while freezing remains a widely …

The Use Of Ai In Canadian Courts, Shaughnessy Dow

Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies

Like many other fields, there has been growing discussion about the potential benefits of AI for the law. In light of the Federal Court’s interim principles and guidelines on the use of AI, this paper considers whether AI applications can assist the judiciary with its decision-making function. In doing so, it starts by considering the role that judges play in our legal system, finding that they are often called upon to consider and weigh information with human, emotional qualities and to assess the broader policy implications of their legal rulings. This paper concludes that the optimism of proponents of AI …

Reinforcement Learning And Virtual Human Animation: A Novel Approach To Data-Driven Animation, Portraying Dynamic, Flexible Human-Like Behaviours, Vihanga Gamage

Dissertations

Virtual characters require animation capable of portraying dynamic, context-sensitive human-like behaviours. Several approaches to generating such animation have been developed, but each carries limitations. Motion capture can produce high-fidelity animation but is expensive and ill-suited to systems that must respond in real time. Physics-based reinforcement learning (RL) enables flexible, dynamic behaviour portrayal, yet relies on simulation feedback signals that are unavailable for social gestures. Supervised approaches can learn social behaviours from motion capture data but yield agents with limited flexibility and generalisation.

This thesis presents RLAnimate, a model-based, data-driven RL framework for character animation that enables a single agent to …

An Evaluation Of Key Components Of Natural Resource Camps, Undergraduate Persistence And Success In Natural Resources, Brandy Bishop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the key components that connect natural resource camps, undergraduate persistence, and overall success through gainful employment within the natural resource industry. The aim of this study was to assess early interest and attitudes towards natural resource career pathways and how education interventions shape students’ career outcomes thus leading to overall success. A longitudinal mixed method design was used combining Conservation Careers Camp survey data (n = 39) with institutional records for Forestry majors (n =655) in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus. Quantitative data was analyzed through …

Advanced Interactions Of Directed Energy With Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells And Their Photochemical And Photothermal Responses, Jin B. Ha

Theses & Dissertations

Excess optical radiation can injure the retina through either rapid heat deposition (photothermal damage) or cumulative photo‑oxidative stress (photochemical damage), yet current laser‑safety limits treat these mechanisms as independent. To test that assumption, this dissertation integrated systematic wavelength, duration and temperature‑controlled laser exposures with live/dead fluorescence imaging in a melanin‑loaded hTERT‑RPE1 monolayer model. First, concurrent 447 nm (blue) and 2 µm (infra‑red) beams delivered for 200 s demonstrated a strong thermal–photochemical synergy: each beam alone was sub‑threshold (≤25 % lethality) but together produced 100 % RPE death without exceeding 50 °C, proving that modest heating markedly lowers the photon dose …

Inhibitory Control In Asian Elephants, Gillian Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

Inhibitory control is defined as the ability to suppress a prepotent motor response in favor of a more efficient or advantageous behavior, and is an important core executive function. Although elephants are known to behave flexibly and display other executive functions, there is currently little information available on if, and to what extent, they display inhibitory control. We tested 16 captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) (N = 8 males, 8 females) ranging in age from 4-years-old to 60-years-old at the National Elephant Institute in Thailand using a classic detour paradigm adapted to be more ecologically salient for them through the …

The Automation Of Aesthetics: Artificial Intelligence And Commercial Artists In North Brooklyn, Devin Sudweeks

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate elites expect generative AI to replace commercial artists but overlook their social and aesthetic expertise. This ethnographic study explores how Brooklyn-based commercial artists narrate their value amid automation, emphasizing embodied presence in cultural scenes, visual language, style, and authenticity, skills not easily mechanized but vital to aesthetic economies.

Learning From Adolescents’ Lived Experience: Recommendations For Suicide Prevention For Youth And Their Caregivers, Genesis Minaya

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored adolescents’ views on which supports are most helpful during suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Interviews revealed six themes: Communication & Disclosure, Empathic Non-Judgmental Support, Consistent Presence, Parent/Family Education, Coping Tools, Hope and Future Orientation. These findings highlight the critical role of family dynamics in adolescent suicide prevention.

In The Name Of The Mother, The Nation, And The Race: White Women, The Jim Crow South, & Moralized White Supremacist Feminism, Shayna M. Lawson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces the concept of moralized white supremacist feminism to examine the central role white women played in constructing, legitimizing, and sustaining racial hierarchies in the Jim Crow South through a network of cultural and political organizing, particularly through the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Women’s Ku Klux Klan. Far from passive observers, white women were strategic agents of segregation, leveraging ideals of purity, motherhood, and moral virtue to enforce anti-Black violence and oppression through educational, civic, legal, and symbolic institutions, as well as extra-legal practices. Drawing from archival materials, oral histories, and critical race theory, this study …

Reverse-Chinoiserie: Qing Imperial Porcelain And The Reappropriation Of European Rococo, Yifan (Mia) Ye

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces “reverse-chinoiserie” to describe the Qing court’s reappropriation of European Rococo aesthetics in imperial porcelain. Through case studies of 18th-century ceramic diplomacy and design, it reveals how cultural imitation was reengineered into visual sovereignty. It examines how China responded to, absorbed, and redirected European fantasies of empire.