Digital Commons Network^™

Junior Recital: April 5, 2025, Joe Brackmann, Lu Witzig

School of Music Programs

Kemp recital Hall

April 5, 2025

Saturday Afternoon

4:30 p.m.

Anticancer Activity Of Allium Cepa Through The Inactivation Of Nf-Κb Pathway: A Literature-Based Study, Sharmita Ghosh Situ, Md. Sakib Al Hasan, Emon Mia, Md. Nasimul Haque Shipon, Md. Faisal Amin, Asmaul Husna Bristy, Yasin Emon

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Allium cepa (onion) is a bulbous herb renowned for its diverse health benefits. This study aims to summarize the anticancer potential of A. cepa through the inactivation of the Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway by reviewing experimental findings across various cancer models. A thorough examination of the literature was carried out using databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The findings revealed that phytochemicals such as stigmasterol, fisetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, morin, kaempferol, luteolin, β-carotene, and β-sitosterol exhibit strong anticancer properties against various cancers, including breast, bladder, colon, colorectal, cervical, lung, liver, oral, pancreatic, …

Tobacco Smoke Exposure Is A Driver Of Altered Oxidative Stress Response And Immunity In Head And Neck Cancer, Yang Li, Pedram Yadollahi, Fonma N Essien, Vasanta Putluri, Chandra Shekar R Ambati, Karthik Reddy Kami Reddy, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Nagireddy Putluri, Lama M Abdurrahman, Maria E Ruiz Echartea, Keenan J Ernste, Akshar J Trivedi, Jonathan Vazquez-Perez, William H Hudson, William K Decker, Rutulkumar Patel, Abdullah A Osman, Farrah Kheradmand, Stephen Y Lai, Jeffrey N Myers, Heath D Skinner, Cristian Coarfa, Kwangwon Lee, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Mitchell J Frederick, Vlad C Sandulache

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Exposomes are critical drivers of carcinogenesis. However, how they modulate tumor behavior remains unclear. Extensive clinical data show cigarette smoke to be a key exposome that promotes aggressive tumors, higher rates of metastasis, reduced response to chemoradiotherapy, and suppressed anti-tumor immunity. We sought to determine whether smoke itself can modulate aggressive tumor behavior in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) through reprogramming of the cellular reductive state.

Methods: Using established human and murine HNSCC cell lines and syngeneic mouse models, we utilized conventional western blotting, steady state and flux metabolomics, RNA sequencing, quantitative proteomics and flow cytometry to …

Parasite Contamination Of Soil In Different Peruvian Locations And Outside Built Environments, Carlos Pineda, Maritza Dalí Camones Rivera, Eddyson Montalva Sabino, Lucia Estela Mejia, Katherine Elizabeth Keegan, Lizbet Pilar Patricio Alvarez, Javier Jorge Mora, Fernanda Espinoza Vega, Emilio Rey Mejia, Patrick Olivas Herrera, Elisa Palomino Pando, Zhen Zeng, Athos Silva De Oliveira, Maria Jose Villar Mondragon, Barton Slatko, Eric J Wetzel, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Soil is a reservoir for many parasites that can affect human and animal health, especially in tropical regions where soil-transmitted helminths and protozoa thrive. Understanding how environmental factors influence parasite distribution will provide a basis for relating how climate changes may intensify their impacts, altering parasite habitats and increasing transmission risks. We surveyed soil parasite prevalence, burden, and diversity in several different Peruvian environmental ecologies to catalog current parasite presence and provide a baseline for future surveys.

Methods: A total of 198 soil samples from 43 locations across three Peruvian regions-Tingo María (TM) (Amazon rainforest), Andabamba/Marabamba (A/M) (Andean highlands), …

Temporal Activity Of Coyotes Across An Urbanization Gradient In St. Louis, Jake Meyer

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

2025 Student Research Symposium Abstract Book, University Of Health Sciences And Pharmacy

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

17 - Mapping The Spatial Distribution Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Using Commercial Satellite Imagery, Brandon Watson

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Seagrass in the Chesapeake Bay has seen an increase due to restoration efforts since the 90s, but with the extreme change of climate, we are unsure if the seagrass will thrive or perish, and where it will occur in the bay. Seagrass stabilizes coastal sediments, reducing erosion and protecting shorelines. It provides crucial habitats and nursery grounds for a diverse range of marine species, supporting both biodiversity and fisheries. Additionally, they play a significant role in carbon sequestration, which mitigates the effects of climate change. This study specifically looked at the area from the mouth of the Rappahannock River up …

03 - Carbon Sequestration Of Nypa Fruticans And Metroxylon Sagu In Negros Oriental, Philippines, Sofia Baez, Dave Gauthier, Roy Olsen De Leon, Jeanette Mara Tan-Sumagaysay, Alicia Gotonero, Chris Bird

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Mangrove forests are highly productive biomes and important for many ecosystem services such as protecting against extreme weather conditions, providing a safe habitat for animals, and sequestering and storing carbon. Understanding carbon sequestration of mangrove systems can aid in understanding their capacity to buffer against climate change. In this study, we investigate the carbon potential of two mangrove palms native to Southeast Asia and Oceania: Nypa fruticans, the Nipa Palm, and Metroxylon sagu, the Sago Palm. In recent years, Nypa palm populations have declined due to their use in thatched roofing. The objective of this project was to investigate …

Highly Regenerable Magnetic Sulfonated Chitosan Crosslinked With Glutaraldehyde Composite Beads (Iron Sand/Naso3-Chi-G) For Aqueous Mercury Removal, Fathurrahmi Fathurrahmi, Rahmi Rahmi, Lelifajri Lelifajri, Anggun Sixthia Wulan Ayu, Muhammad Iqhrammullah

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

We developed a novel adsorbent from sulfonated, glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan embedded with magnetic iron sand. The adsorbent was synthesized through a two-step process: (1) sulfonation with N(SO₃Na)₃ to introduce sulfonate groups, and (2) crosslinking with glutaraldehyde to enhance structural stability. The optimal formulation, containing 43.5% iron sand and crosslinked with 0.17 M glutaraldehyde, exhibited the highest Hg²⁺ adsorption capacity (30.74 mg/g) at pH 3. The adsorbents were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopic (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 60 minutes, and isotherm modeling showed that the process followed the Freundlich model …

The Student Movement Volume 109 Issue 19: Once Upon A Total Eclipse, Stripples Fall Victim To A Tariff Apocalypse, Gersh William, Marco Sciarabba, Ayanda Dewa, Aiko J. Ayala Rios, Melissa Moore, Andrew Francis, Finnegan Blake, Anna Rybachek

The Student Movement V. 109 (2024-2025)

HUMANS

The Future of Dining? Bon Appétit Introduces AI-Powered Service, Gersh William

The Grimm's Briar Rose: An Honor Scholar's Thesis, Marco Sciarabba

Love Bridges All: Rec Center to Serve as Wedding Venue, Ayanda Dewa

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Paradise Promised: University Choirs Celebrate Easter, Aiko J. Ayala Rios

NEWS

An AUSA Banquet Once Upon A Dream, Melissa Moore

Solar Skylarking: AU to Experience Total Eclipse Two Years in a Row, Melissa Moore

Hyve 2025 Conference Comes to Andrews University, Melissa Moore

IDEAS

Stripples Struck Down by New U.S. Tariffs, Andrew Francis and Finnegan Blake

PULSE

Are You Kidding Me? A Brief …

2025 Jsu Student Symposium Proceedings, Shannon Robertson

JSU Student Symposium 2025

No abstract provided.

Over Explaining Things Again: Poems, Emily Mckinney

Poetry MFA Theses

This thesis contains a collection of poems meditation on family, self, chronic illnesses, and the intersection of these themes. The collection seeks to question itself and make sense of personal history in its spiraling repetitions of subject that move from the abstract speaker into the concrete. The poems are accompanied by a critical essay.

Toxiverse: An Online Comprehensive Chemical Profiling, Modeling, And Data Analysis Platform, Yitao Shen

Theses and Dissertations

Massive chemical data is now publicly available through publications and various online databases. However, most online databases only provide data unsuitable for modeling purposes and limited machine learning (ML) modeling for those data. As a public chemical toxicity evaluation tool to resolve these issues, the Toxicology Universe (ToxiVerse) portal hosts curated chemical structures and toxicological/pharmaceutical data of 26,000 compounds which can be used directly for modeling purposes. Furthermore, users can upload chemical datasets to extract all involved bioassays for compounds inside as biological profiles. ToxiVerse also features automatic QSAR modeling of uploaded datasets using multiple chemical descriptors and algorithms provided …

Library Newsletter Early April '25, Emerson College

Iwasaki Newsletters

This Library newsletter reached staff, students, and faculty of Emerson College on April 4th, 2025

Systematic Optimization And Prediction Of Cre Recombinase For Precise Genome Editing In Mice., Valerie Erhardt, Elli I Hartig, Kristian Lorenzo, Hannah R Megathlin, Basile Tarchini, Vishnu Hosur

Faculty Research 2025

BACKGROUND: The Cre-Lox system is a powerful tool in mouse genetics, enabling precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression and conditional knockout models. Since its development, it has transformed genome editing by facilitating targeted deletions, translocations, inversions, and complex modifications-double-floxed inverse orientation. Its utility extends beyond mice to rats, pigs, and zebrafish. However, challenges such as high costs, lengthy timelines, and unpredictable recombination remain, highlighting the need for ongoing improvements to enhance efficiency, reliability, and applicability across genetic models.

RESULTS: In this study, we perform a systematic analysis of Cre-mediated recombination in mice, creating 11 new strains with conditional alleles at …

Understanding Strain-Level Dynamics In Gut Commensal-Pathogen-Host Interactions, Anna Louise Deveaux

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The human gut microbiome is a consortium of trillions of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that colonizes the gastrointestinal tract and promotes health under homeostatic conditions. This microbial community trains the immune system, modulates inflammation and anticancer immunity, promotes cardiometabolic health, enables nutrient extraction, and prevents pathogen overgrowth. The latter function manifests through colonization resistance, in which microbes occupy spatial and nutritional niches thereby excluding pathogens from the community entirely, and through limiting pathogen population growth if colonization occurs. These roles are facilitated by complex host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions that underlie differences in susceptibility to microbiome-mediated infectious diseases. The strain-level …

Tools For Studying Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection With Fluorescence Microscopy, Margaret Dianne Mitrovich

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) poses a significant burden in the United States, particularly among young children, older adults, and those with underlying health conditions. Despite recent progress in vaccine availability, there are still aspects of RSV infection that we do not understand, including mechanisms of viral entry and assembly. To address this challenge, we develop tools that are compatible with existing, widely available fluorescence-based imaging systems. Specifically, we develop a fluorescent RSV system harboring a fluorescent reporter and tags on the surface proteins using site-specific labeling. This engineered viral strain maintains strong replication kinetics, labels with high efficiency, and allows …

El Horror A Través De La Máscara, María Fernanda Pérez Lira B.A., Edgar Meritano

STEM for Success Showcase

La tesis El Horror a Través de la Máscara (Pérez-Lira & Meritano-Corrales, 2025), presentada en la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, se centra en el análisis formal y simbólico del personaje Michael Myers dentro de la saga cinematográfica Halloween, explorando los elementos que le han permitido consolidarse como un ícono trascendental en el subgénero del horror slasher. A partir de una revisión teórica y fílmica, la investigación examina cómo la configuración estética, narrativa y simbólica de este monstruo contribuye a su permanencia en el imaginario colectivo, su influencia en producciones audiovisuales posteriores y su asociación cultural con fenómenos como la festividad …

The Diamond, April 4, 2025, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Women's Basketball Wins Back-to-Back National Titles; A Closer Look at the Removal of Dordt's Ash Trees; The Non-Dutch, Non-Reformed Experience at Dordt
• News: New Canadian Prime Minister; Faith CRC Hosts Community Worship Night
• Feature: Dordt and Northwestern Social Work Clubs Support Sioux Center Families in Need; Senior Spotlight; NISO and Concert Choir Work with Community Members to Present Brahm's Requiem; Puppetry, Faith, and a Whimsical Life: Dordt Alumnus Story; Designing a Space for Community; Dordt University Introduces Innovative Gaming Course
• Arts & Entertainment: It's Not That Deep: Senior Art Exhibit Showcase; Radium Girls …

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Jaw, Nicholas Burchett, David Kerstetter, Derek Burkholder

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

A Long Non-Coding Erna Forms R-Loops To Shape Emotional Experience-Induced Behavioral Adaptations, Rose Marie Akiki

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Emotional experiences often evoke neural plasticity that supports adaptive changes in behavior, including maladaptive plasticity associated with mood and substance use disorders. These adaptations are supported in part by experience-dependent activation of immediate-early response genes, such as Npas4. We discovered that a conserved, long non-coding enhancer RNA (lnc-eRNA) transcribed from an activity-sensitive enhancer produces DNA-RNA hybrid R-loop structures that support 3D chromatin-looping of the enhancer and proximal promoter and stimulus-induced, rapid Npas4 gene induction. We also show that this Npas4 lnceRNA and its R-loops are required for the development of behavioral adaptations produced by chronic psychosocial stress or cocaine exposure, …

Idiosyncratic Approaches To Electronic Music-Making Through Mobile Technologies, Nick E. Wilson, Martin K. Koszolko

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

This paper examines the transformative impact of mobile technologies on electronic music-making, highlighting how portable apps and hardware enable idiosyncratic approaches beyond traditional live and studio setups. Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience within and beyond Clan Analogue—Australia’s longest-running electronic music collective—the research contrasts conventional configurations with innovative mobile instruments and apps. By analysing a range of tools, from budget-friendly synthesisers to advanced smartphone and tablet apps, the paper explores how mobile technologies foster new creative possibilities. Using qualitative methods, the authors integrate personal experiences and a broad examination of music equipment to investigate the setting-based mobile music creation model, …

Addressing Hiv And Substance Use Health Disparities Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Individuals, Jamie V. Saunt, David L. Hussey

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: Advances in HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, alongside increased awareness and harm reduction efforts for substance use disorder (SUD) have improved care and treatment access over the past decade. However, racial and ethnic minorities with SUD and HIV or at risk for HIV still face disproportionately high health disparities. Understanding and addressing the reasons behind these disparities is crucial. Recent Findings: Structural and systemic barriers continue to negatively impact minoritized communities, due to lack of access to care, mistrust, and feelings of ostracization. Disconnected systems for HIV and SUD treatment complicate combined care. Delays in HIV diagnosis …

Assessing A Possible Effect Of Males' Pheromones In The Phonotaxis Of Female Acheta Domesticus, Addy Rodriguez Velasco

Honors Theses

Acoustic communication in crickets is crucial for reproduction. Females respond phonotactically to the male's call. Prior research evaluating the selectivity of phonotaxis in these females, has focused on females that have been isolated from males from day 1 after metamorphosis. However, assessing phonotaxis in females raised in the presence of males, remains to be done. This study aims to investigate the phonotactic response of female Acheta domesticus that were housed with males prior to testing.

Results indicate that on average, male-exposed females respond phonotactically to a wider range of calls that those females in the control group. These results rule …

Bright And Photostable Yellow Fluorescent Proteins For Extended Imaging, Jihwan Lee, Shujuan Lai, Shuyuan Yang, Shiqun Zhao, Francisco A Blanco, Anne C Lyons, Raquel Merino-Urteaga, John F Ahrens, Nathan A Nguyen, Haixin Liu, Zhuohe Liu, Gerard G Lambert, Nathan C Shaner, Liangyi Chen, Kimberley F Tolias, Jin Zhang, Taekjip Ha, François St-Pierre

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Fluorescent proteins are indispensable molecular tools for visualizing biological structures and processes, but their limited photostability restricts the duration of dynamic imaging experiments. Yellow fluorescent proteins (YFPs), in particular, photobleach rapidly. Here, we introduce mGold2s and mGold2t, YFPs with up to 25-fold greater photostability than mVenus and mCitrine, two commonly used YFPs, while maintaining comparable brightness. These variants were identified using a high-throughput pooled single-cell platform, simultaneously screening for high brightness and photostability. Compared with our previous benchmark, mGold, the mGold2 variants display a ~4-fold increase in photostability without sacrificing brightness. mGold2s and mGold2t extend imaging durations across diverse modalities, …

Normalized And Directional Interplay Scoring For The Interrogation Of Proteoform Data, Karl F Poncha, Alyssa T Paparella, Nicolas L Young

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Histone proteoforms, often presenting multiple co-occurring post-translational modifications (PTMs), are central to chromatin regulation and gene expression. A proteoform is a specific form of a protein that includes variations arising from genetic changes, alternative RNA splicing, proteolytic processing, and PTMs. Genome-indexed histone proteoforms define the histone code, influencing cellular phenotype by dictating DNA interacting partners. Understanding the dynamics of histone proteoforms is essential for elucidating chromatin-based regulatory mechanisms. Advances in middle-down and top-down proteomics enable accurate identification and quantitation of thousands of proteoforms in a single run. However, the resulting data complexity presents significant challenges for analysis and visualization. Here, …

A Neutrosophic Micro Vague Correlation Measure: Application To Multi-Criteria Decision Making Problems, Vargees Vahini T, Trinita Pricilla M

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Statistical methods called correlation measures are employed to express the degree of association or relationship between two variables. The correlation coefficient which may be computed in a variety of ways is the most often used kind of correlation measure in many disciplines including biology, psychology, economics, and finance. Knowing the correlations between variables is essential for analysis and decision-making. This paper aims to commence a novel type of correlation measure called Neutrosophic Micro vague Correlation Measure and Neutrosophic Micro Vague Weighted Correlation Measure. Further demonstrates the implementation of the Neutrosophic Micro Vague correlation measure in the MCDM Problem. By adopting …

Improved Estimator For Population Mean Utilizing Known Medians Of Two Auxiliary Variables Under Neutrosophic Framework, Rajesh Singh, Shobh Nath Tiwari

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In the context of classical statistics, the estimation of the population mean is done with determinate, precise, and crisp data when auxiliary information is available. However, there are instances where dealing with uncertain, indeterminate, and imprecise data in interval form is required. To overcome this issue, Florentin Smarandache introduced neutrosophic statistics as a novel approach. This paper introduces a neutrosophic modified ratio-cum-product log-type estimator for the estimation of the population mean using known medians of two auxiliary variables in the neutrosophic context. The bias and mean squared error (MSE) for the proposed estimators are computed to the first-order approximation. The …

Some Graph Parameters For Superhypertree-Width And Neutrosophictree-Width, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Graph characteristics are often studied through various parameters, with ongoing research dedicated to exploring these aspects. Among these, graph width parameters—such as treewidth—are particularly important due to their practical applications in algorithms and real-world problems. A hypergraph generalizes traditional graph theory by abstracting and extending its concepts [77]. More recently, the concept of a SuperHyperGraph has been introduced as a further generalization of the hypergraph. Neutrosophic logic [133], a mathematical framework, extends classical and fuzzy logic by allowing the simultaneous consideration of truth, indeterminacy, and falsity within an interval. In this paper, we explore Superhypertree-width, Neutrosophic treewidth, and t-Neutrosophic tree-width.

Mbj-Neutrosophic Structure Applied To Bp-Algebras: Bp-Subalgebras And Α-Ideals, Bavanari Satyanarayana, Shake Baji, Anjaneyulu Naik K.

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In this article, we introduce the concepts of MBJ-neutrosophic BP-subalgebras and MBJ-neutrosophic α-ideals in BP-algebra by applying MBJ-neutrosophic logic to algebraic structure BP-algebra. We prove that the intersection of two MBJ-neutrosophic α-ideals and the inverse image of an MBJ-neutrosophic α-ideal are also MBJ-neutrosophic α-ideals. Furthermore, we prove an MBJ-neutrosophic set is an MBJ-neutrosophic BP-subalgebra if and only if its level sets are BP-subalgebras.