Digital Commons Network^™

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2026 Volume Number 1, Margaret Cozens, Johann Heupel, Owen Placido, Paul Salopek, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

“Building community around the places we love,” is the theme of the Spring-Summer 2026 issue of Wrack Lines magazine. Learn about the work of the Six Lakes Park coalition in Hamden, Riverfront Recapture in Hartford, MyCoast in southeastern Connecticut and the statewide land conservation conference. Additional stories tell about the artistry and mission of photographer-videographer Tomas Koeck, and National Geographic explorer Paul Salopek, who is traveling the world on foot.

Wheelless Snake-Like Robot For Unknown Environment Exploration, Anastasiia Statcenko, Gwyn Anawalt, Eden Steinbeck

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

This project focuses on creating a locomotive device that is capable of movement without relying on active wheels. This kind of system is essential to exploration in rough terrains where wheel-based motion proves to be ineffective. Drawing inspiration from the natural movement of snakes- the animal most successful in traversing difficult and diverse environments- we will develop a modular snake-like robotic prototype. Our modular design will allow for simplified maintenance, easy component replacement, and opportunity for further development and research.

Our approach will integrate electronic circuits, obstacle awareness via live camera feed, and locomotion control programmed via serial protocols on …

Loss Of Mct1 Mediated Lactate Uptake Causes Delayed Endplate Maturation And Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, Maria Tsingas, Konstantinos Tsingas, Mei Smyers, Wujuan Zhang, Aaron R. Goldman, Eulisa Lawrence, John A. Collins, Makarand V. Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

During skeletal growth, it is thought that the lactate secreted by the glycolytic nucleus pulposus (NP) cells exits the intervertebral disc into circulation via endplates. Our current studies challenge this long-held notion. Mice with early postnatal, endplate, and annulus fibrosus-specific deletion of lactate importer, MCT1, exhibited disc degeneration characterized by NP cell loss and pronounced endplate structural changes. Using metabolic and transcriptomic approaches, we demonstrate that MCT1 loss inhibits endplate chondrocyte differentiation and that lactate serves both as a crucial TCA metabolite and promotes protein and histone lactylation and gene expression. These findings suggest that during skeletal growth, NP-derived lactate …

Reliability-Aware Mixture-Of-Agents For Robust Ai-Generated Image Detection, Jake Jump, Yu-Wing Tai

Computer Science Senior Theses

Detecting AI-generated images requires reasoning across multiple levels of evidence, ranging from low-level statistical artifacts to high-level semantic inconsistencies. Existing approaches typically rely on a single class of signals or emphasize complex multi-agent coordination, which limits robustness under distribution shifts and common image degradations. We propose a reliability-aware Mixture-of-Agents (MoA) framework that treats Vision-Language Model (VLM) agents and computational features as complementary experts and aggregates their predictions based on empirically calibrated reliability. Rather than relying on intricate inter-agent reasoning, our approach centers on structured aggregation: high-precision “anchor” agents drive predictions, while weaker but complementary signals are adaptively incorporated to resolve …

Blendmo: A Blender Mocap Toolkit, Kelly Lee, Angela Zhou, Dana Steinke

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Motion capture technology is vital for achieving realistic movement in 3D animation, but industry-standard tracking suits and studios remain expensive and inaccessible for students, independent artists, and amateur filmmakers. Consequently, many creators rely on accessible, marker-less motion capture methods, which frequently yield noisy data, scale mismatches between the actor and the rigged model, and unnatural behaviors like foot sliding. To address these technical barriers, this project introduces a free and accessible extension for Blender designed to streamline the cleanup and integration of marker-less motion capture data. It consists of various solutions for methods of combats to motion-captured complications: the keyframe …

Transitioning To Privatization With An Employee-First Approach: The Role Of The Employee Success Team, Hanna E. Andersen

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Convention centers are vital economic and cultural assets, driving commerce, tourism, and local engagement. In addition to hosting conferences and trade shows, they serve as gathering spaces for civic events and community celebrations. Like many municipalities, the City of Waco shifted the Waco Convention Center from direct municipal operation to private management to improve efficiency and service quality. Guided by its commitment to community assets, the city adopted an employee-first approach through its Employee Success Team (EST). The EST addressed the challenges of privatization—such as staff uncertainty and restructuring—by placing employees in roles within the city or with the new …

A Wideband Omnidirectional Dual E-Shaped Microstrip Patch Antenna Based On Partial Ground Plane, Fengyu Du, Boning Ren

Warith Scientific Journal of Engineering and Technology

To address the problems of narrow impedance bandwidth in conventional microstrip patch antennas at the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth band and the strong dependence of port matching and radiation efficiency on structural dimensions, this paper investigates the structural design, equivalent-circuit modeling, and test-result analysis of a wideband omnidirectional dual E-shaped microstrip patch antenna based on a partial ground plane. The antenna is fabricated on an F4B dielectric substrate with a relative permittivity of 2.2, a loss tangent of 0.0009, and overall dimensions of 30 mm × 22.5 mm × 1.575 mm. The radiating patch adopts a dual E-shaped slotted configuration, and …

News From The States, Blake Denton

The Southeastern Librarian

Library news reports from SELA member states

2026-06-03 Maybe We Should Take Less Pictures: On Photography And Possession, Hannah Mwangi

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Bilingual Math For Kindergartners (Biki), Anna Aldrin, Caroline Tapia, Lillian Le

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

For many children from bilingual households, kindergarten represents a critical, learning benchmark where the introduction of fundamental math concepts coincides with their first significant exposure to the English language. Traditional educational methods often fail to support English language learners, leading to a disconnect between their understanding of math in the home and its application in the classroom. This linguistic barrier frequently results in reduced engagement, diminished confidence, and an unstable educational foundation that can discourage students from pursuing STEM careers later in life. While existing platforms like Khan Academy and Duolingo address either language acquisition or mathematical proficiency independently, they …

Maya Roots, Erin Schmidt, Megu Kanzawa

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

This project focused on the continued development of Maya Roots, a mobile and web-based platform designed for farmers in Tahcabo: a rural agricultural community located in Yucatán, Mexico. Yucatán faces unique agricultural challenges due to its karst limestone terrain and highly variable land conditions that can significantly impact farming outcomes. At the same time, traditional agricultural knowledge such as Milpa farming practices is increasingly at risk of being lost across generations. These environmental and cultural challenges highlighted the need for a portable, accessible system that could preserve agricultural knowledge, improve access to geospatial information, and strengthen communication between farmers and …

Transgenic Hookworm Secretes Anti-Tetrodotoxin Human Single Chain Antibody, Kumar Sachin Singh, Suman Bharti, Bruce A Rosa, Mahdiyeh Bigham, Samuel C Uzoechi, Young-Jun Choi, John C Martin, Danielle Kemper, Slavica Pavlovic Djuranovic, Darren A Pickering, Rachael Ryan, Bethany K Bracken, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Eric C Carnes, Wannaporn Ittiprasert, Matthew Moyle, Paul J Brindley, Alex Loukas, Sergej Djuranovic, Makedonka Mitreva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Biologics, protein- and peptide-based drugs derived from living organisms or cell lines have emerged as effective therapies across a broad range of indications. However, parenteral administration and the need for frequent dosing increase costs and limit compliance, creating an urgent need for innovative platforms capable of continuously, safely, and efficiently delivering sustained biologics in situ within the host. Here, we describe a bioengineered hookworm platform to manufacture and deliver biologic therapeutics in vivo. As proof of concept, we engineer the Ancylostoma ceylanicum secretome by inserting a human single-chain variable fragment antibody (s16-HuScFv) into its genome. Transgene expression does not perturb …

Complement Activation In Maternal And Placental Pathology Of Preeclampsia, Manu T Banadakoppa, Madhulatha S Chauhan, Moises J Tacam, Allyson W Nevins, Antonio H Ruano, Simone H Ruano, Jon A Fuson, Chandra Yallampalli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Preeclampsia is a multifactorial, pregnancy-related disorder characterized by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria, with distinct early- and late-onset forms. Although complement dysregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, its causal role remains unclear. In mice, Crry (complement receptor 1-related protein Y) functions as a critical complement regulator at the fetal-maternal interface. Because complete Crry deficiency is embryonically lethal, direct in vivo investigation of complement activation in pregnancy has been challenging.

Methods: We generated a placenta-specific, doxycycline-inducible short hairpin RNA mouse model in which Crry expression can be downregulated in a dose-dependent manner. This system employs Cyp19-driven Cre recombinase …

Cytosine Base Editing Of Lpa In Transgenic Mice Averts Large Deletions, Marcel A Chuecos, So Hyun Park, Madhvi M Bhakta, Usosa Too-Chiobi, Daniel Betancourth, Mingming Cao, Marco De Giorgi, Christopher J Walkey, Anjana Tiwari, Biana Godin, Julia M Assini, Donna J Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael B Boffa, Marlys L Koschinsky, Gang Bao, William R Lagor

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a genetically determined causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with approximately 20% of the population exhibiting elevated levels. While there are promising drugs in development, there are currently no approved therapies specifically designed to lower Lp(a) levels. For high-risk individuals with extreme levels of Lp(a), liver-directed genome editing could be an effective one-time solution. Genome editing approaches such as CRISPR and TALENs can reduce Lp(a) in LPA-transgenic mouse models, but they frequently induce large and potentially harmful genomic deletions. Here, we report the first application of TadA-derived cytosine base editing (CBE), delivered via helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAdV) and …

Vitamin D–Amp Axis In Host Defense Against Fungal Infections, Nuraly S. Akimbekov, Ilya Digel, Svetlana K. Sakhanova, Kuanysh Tastambek, Dinara K. Sherelkhan, Mohammed S. Razzaque

School of Medicine Publications

Vitamin D–mediated regulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is an important focus in innate immunology and is aimed at elucidating the role of vitamin D in enhancing antimicrobial defense. AMPs are short protein chains that serve as a first line of defense against invading pathogens, including fungi, bacteria and viruses. Unlike conventional antibiotics, AMPs are produced endogenously and are less likely to induce antimicrobial resistance, making them promising candidates for treating infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens. Studies indicate that optimal vitamin D levels are essential for activating antimicrobial pathways and regulating AMPs that target multiple fungal pathogens. This article summarizes recent …

Napier Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum) Meal Modulates Growth Efficiency, Gut Morphology, And Systemic Health In Broiler Chickens, Eric Lim Teik Chung, Yee Lyn Ong, Nazri Nayan, Muhamad Faris Ab Aziz, Faez Firdaus Abdullah Jesse, Faizal Andri, Arissara Sopawong

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Grass and leaf meals, which include vital phytocompounds, have the potential to be a natural and safe alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry. Therefore, this study aims to assess Pennisetum purpureum leaf meal and its phytocompounds on the health performances of colored-broilers. A total of 216 unsexed Sasso chicks were assigned to six diet groups. The negative control (T1) received a commercial basal diet without antibiotics, while the positive control (T2) received the same diet with oxytetracycline (100 mg/kg). Groups T3 to T6 received no antibiotics and included P. purpureum meal at 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, or 5.00 grams per …

You Must Be This Tall To Scroll: California's Questionable Approach To Parenting By Policy, Caroline M. Cuddy

Pace Law Review

This note examines California's Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act (SB 976), signed into law in September 2024, which prohibits personalized algorithmic feeds on minors' accounts without pa- rental consent and restricts platform notifications during school hours and nighttime. Drawing on the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association and related federal litigation, this note argues that SB 976 is unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Specifically, SB 976 is underinclusive because it fails to meaning- fully reduce minors' screen time, exempts comparable addictive plat- forms, and permits the very algorithmic feeds it deems harmful upon parental …

Chipping Away At Stone: Rethinking The Establishment Clause After Kennedy, Christian Edmonds

Pace Law Review

In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Supreme Court abandoned the Lemon test and replaced it with a framework grounded in historical practices and understandings. Yet lower courts have struggled to operationalize that standard, and some have continued to rely on Stone v. Graham, a brief 1980 per curiam opinion rooted entirely in Lemon, as controlling precedent. This Article argues that Stone cannot survive Kennedy’s wholesale repudiation of Lemon and its progeny. Using the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Roake v. Brumley, which struck down Louisiana’s Ten Commandments display law on the basis of Stone, as a case study, the Article …

Daydreaming: How Far Can We Go?, Abigail Toribio

Writing Waves

No abstract provided.

Was The American Revolution Biblical And/Or Just?, Gregg L. Frazer

Journal of Law and Government

The questions of whether the American Revolution was biblical and whether it was just may be necessarily intertwined. If it was biblical, then it was just. If it was unbiblical, it was necessarily unjust. If it was merely non-biblical, that is, if the Bible does not speak to the question, then it could be either just or unjust by some human standard. For the purposes of this paper, the question of whether it was just by a merely human standard will be addressed independently of, and in addition to, the infinitely more important question of whether it is biblical. We …

The Microbead-Free Waters Act Of 2015: Model For Future Environmental Legislation, Or Black Swan?, David A. Strifling

Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law (Florida State University)

Environmental law scholars have long lamented that it is has become unthinkable – or at least exceedingly unlikely – for Congress to pass significant new environmental legislation. This is not uniformly the case, as shown by the recent enactment of Public Law 114-114, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 (“the Act”). Yet more nuanced questions must be answered before the Act can be hailed as an important break in the legislative logjam. Was the Act insignificant, simply not worth the time and political currency necessary for opponents of environmental regulation to stop? Was it the fortuitous product of a unique …

Between The Canvas And The Colonizer: The Black Female Figure And French Orientalist Paintings, Sophia Hounton

SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal

Black women in French Orientalist paintings have been portrayed as hypersexual, subservient, and used as props to highlight the presence of their white and Arab counterparts. These depictions of Black women represent early discriminatory ideas about Black Africans that emerged in the same era through racial science. Though partially deconstructed today, these early conceptions of Black women continue to be reinforced and impact modern perceptions of Black women in French society. There is notably much less research dedicated to the historical role of the image of Black women in France compared to research on Black men and Arab women. This …

The Child Figure In Climate Fiction: Redefining Community And Culture In The Face Of Climate Change, Allison Wasley

SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal

While climate change has been a known phenomenon for decades, social and cultural factors have stagnated our collective ability not only to discuss ongoing climate disasters, but also to conceptualize the disintegration of the very relationship between humanity and the natural world. This essay builds upon existing research and theory, proposing that climate fiction could serve as an antidote to our “cultural derangement,” which simultaneously destroys the relationship between humanity and nature, and our relationship with one another. This essay analyzes several examples of climate fiction that leverage the figure of the child as a symbol of hope and a …

Complete Issue, Dawson A. Phelps, Edward Hunter Ross, Owen M. Peterson, Paul Flowers

Journal of Mississippi History

No abstract provided.

Names Please: Place Names Along The Natchez Trace, Dawson A. Phelps, Edward Hunter Ross

Journal of Mississippi History

No abstract provided.

Emilia Serrano Or Baroness Of Wilson:The Traveling Writer, Nadia Baline

SOROUD: The journal of Literacy Criticism

Emilia Serrano, or Baroness of Wilson, a 19th-century writer, journalist, and traveler, spent half of her life in Latin America, due to her love and fondness for the place. This article will try to shed light on this author and highlight the place that she occupies in the travel literature of her time. Serrano faced such gender stereotype as the presumed weakness and sensitivity of women. Animated by her an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and exploration, Serrano traveled across America, from Canada to Patagonia in search of adventure. She wrote several literary works bearing testimony to her experiences, perceptions, multilingual …

Lily Sergueiew, A Convinced Traveller, Isabelle Antonutti

SOROUD: The journal of Literacy Criticism

Nathalie Sergueiew travelled across Europe and the Middle East on foot and by bicycle between 1933 and 1939. She was a journalist, solo traveller, cyclist, painter and spy during the Second World War. She made three major journeys. At the age of 21, she set off on foot to Poland via Germany. The following year she cycled through Central Europe. During her travels, she took an interest in political and social life. The situation in Europe is tense and she seeks to understand and explain. She conducted investigations in labour camps and slums, interviewed politicians and talked to Nazi activists, …

Alice Morrison’S My 1001 Nights: Tales And Adventures From Morocco Seeing From Within Not From Above And Preaching Cross-Cultural Appreciation, Youssef El Kaidi

SOROUD: The journal of Literacy Criticism

Thanks to its geographical location at the intersection between continents and cultures, Morocco has always been a stage for cross-cultural encounters. Despite its geographical proximity to Europe, Morocco, however, is culturally distant to the Western subject and its exotic allure has always been irresistible. While many 19th and early 20th century travel accounts on Morocco were highly orientalist in their (mis)representation of space and race in Morocco, Alice Morrison’s My 1001 Nights: Tales and Adventures from Morocco seem to introduce a new pattern of cultural representation in which the Western traveler witnesses from within not from above. This paper demonstrates …

Non-Invasive Adaptive Posterior Ocular Transport System (Apots-Ω V1.0) A Closed-Loop Multimodal Acoustic-Hydrogel-Nanocarrier Platform For Macula-Targeted Eye-Drop Delivery, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

The APOTS-Ω v1.0 platform is a conceptual, non-invasive, closed-loop ocular transport system designed to enhance the posterior delivery of topically applied therapeutics to the macular region of the eye without intra-vitreal injection. The system combines low-energy phased ultrasound, adaptive vortex-mode acoustic transport, conductive hydrogel coupling interfaces, smart nanoparticle eye-drop carriers, thermal-stabilizing biointerfaces, and real-time safety monitoring into a unified transport-conditioning architecture.

Unlike conventional ultrasound drug-delivery concepts that rely primarily on brute-force permeability enhancement, APOTS-Ω is designed around controlled transport engineering using low-intensity adaptive fields, posterior-biased streaming geometries, delayed-release nanocarriers, and distributed safety feedback systems. The platform seeks to improve posterior …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Strengthening Democracy, Lect. Dr. Majid Hamed Faraj, Lect. Dr. Mahmood Noori Matlab

Imam Ja'afar Al-Sadiq University Journal of Legal Studies

The research aims to examine the impact of artificial intelligence on promoting democracy and the associated challenges. Using an analytical approach, the findings suggest that AI can improve the accuracy and objectivity of information, contribute to strengthening the rule of law and public opinion analysis, and play a role in the legitimacy of elections by ensuring their integrity. However, the findings indicate that overreliance on technology may weaken direct interaction between government and citizens and negatively impact individual rights. There are also risks related to the collection of voters’ personal data and the unethical exploitation of AI. The study suggests …