Digital Commons Network^™

Natural Reflection: Reducing The Environmental Impact Of Architecture Through Biomimetic Design, Keenan Doricent

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This project studies how typical building projects contribute to our environmental issues today and possible ways to reduce that contribution moving forward. In my literature review, I discuss the potential of biomimetic design as a possible solution for more environmentally considerate architecture techniques. Building operations and the construction process are two of the leading contributors to energy consumption and our growing ecological footprint as an industry. Everything from sourcing materials, to site preparation, and ultimately building occupation, factor into the effect of a structure’s life on the environment. The embodied and operational energy use of our expanding infrastructure continues to …

Libraries Accessibility Plan 2024-2025

Accessibility Committee

One-year plan providing a roadmap for committee projects and goals. Authored in 2024 by the University Libraries Accessibility Committee as an internal document.

The Relationship Between Ultrarunning Status, Subjective Well-Being, And Life Satisfaction, Raquel Ramirez Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rise in mental health challenges across the United States. Consequently, two important well-being measures for Healthy People 2030—subjective well-being and life satisfaction—were negatively impacted. A plethora of evidence exists about the benefits of running for physical and mental health. Yet, there is no available evidence that shows the benefits of ultrarunning, subjective well-being, and life satisfaction. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the relationship between ultrarunning status, subjective well-being, and life satisfaction among adult runners in the United States. The advanced triangle of epidemiology served as the conceptual framework. A convenience sample included 369 adult …

2024 Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Program, Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Of California Chapter At Chapman University

Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Programs

The 2024 Induction Ceremony for the Psi of Chapter California was held on May 7, 2024 at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University. In this ceremony, 22 outstanding students were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Latinx Revolutionary Horizons: Form And Futurity In The Americas, Renee Hudson

English Faculty Books and Book Chapters

In Latinx Revolutionary Horizons, Renee Hudson theorizes a liberatory latinidad that is not yet here and conceptualizes a hemispheric project in which contemporary Latinx authors return to earlier moments of revolution. Rather than viewing Latinx as solely a category of identification, she argues for an expansive, historicized sense of the term that illuminates its political potential.

Claiming the “x” in Latinx as marking the suspension and tension between how Latin American descended people identify and the future politics the “x” points us toward, Hudson contends that latinidad can signal a politics grounded in shared struggles and histories rather than …

The Air We Breathe: Understanding Individual Exposure To Air Pollution, Claire Culliton

Student Theses 2015-Present

Every day, people are exposed to air pollution. But not all people experience the same levels of exposure. Human exposure to ambient air pollution is commonly represented by the concentration of pollutants in the air outside, but this is not accurate in revealing the complex and individual experience that is pollution exposure. This paper reevaluates how we represent exposure to ambient pollution and presents data from an ongoing study to broaden our understanding of the role of indoor air quality. Chapter one uses quantitative data to describe the relationship between humans and ambient air pollution and explain why the current …

From Pasture To Pavement: Urban Expansion And Its Environmental Consequences In Perth, Anastasia Charelishvili

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis addresses the pressing issue of ecological problems of urban sprawl and its intricate impacts on urban health, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities in Perth, Australia. Chapter 1 presents the city's historical background and emphasizes the depletion of ecosystem services, underscoring the need for environmental justice. It also introduces the causes and effects of the sprawl in Perth and draws upon a diverse range of environmental problems created by suburbia, such as air pollution, biodiversity loss, water pollution, and runoff. As these threats translate into urban health declines, such as respiratory problems and increased healthcare issues, Chapter …

Exploring The Relationship Between Intraurban Heat, Lower Income Communities And Urban Governance In Arlington, Texas, Brian Campbell

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

The climate is warming at an alarming rate. This has brought many challenges to daily life in cities across the world. One of the most significant of these is intraurban heat and the Urban Heat Island Effect. Per The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, urban heat islands are those urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures versus other outlying areas. As cities become more populated, this and resulting increased infrastructure will enhance the phenomenon. This in turn will exacerbate the negative consequences of this phenomenon to people as well as both the built and natural environments. As cities work …

Decarbonized Design: Investigating Decarbonization Through The Design Of A Mass Timber Campus, Sophie Cronin

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The rise of carbon in our atmosphere is a leading cause of climate change, and one of the biggest threats to our planet. Though not the most toxic greenhouse gas, it is the most durable, therefore lingers much longer in our atmosphere. This leads to higher atmospheric temperatures, causing natural disasters such as melting ice caps, and rising sea levels which leads to displacement of people and loss of biodiversity. According to Architecture 2030 The global building industry emits 42% of the annual carbon emissions. I believe we need to take action as a part of the building industry to …

Modulating Recycled Plastic: A Sustainable Solution To Plastic Pollution Through Innovative Recycling, Galo Cruz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Initially celebrated as a miracle material, modern society’s dependence on plastics has resulted in urgent environmental challenges. The consequences of this dependence are: widespread plastic pollution, an environment grappling with near-indestructible waste, and a health crisis fueled by malignant microplastics. In response to this urgent junction of environmental challenges, this research sets forth to further the transformative approach explored by Janel Sitt’s 2020 thesis and aims to answer the following questions:

1. Why does our dependence on single-use plastic jeopardize our environment, severely impacting food supplies, marine life, and overall quality of life?

2. As designers, are there opportunities for …

Closed For Storm: Open For Opportunity Revitalizing New Orleans At The Six Flags Site, Jackson Crow

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

New Orleans, a city known for its rich culture and historical significance, has faced its fair share of challenges, including natural disasters and economic struggles. One notable symbol of these struggles is the abandoned Six Flags theme park. This thesis proposal aims to explore the potential of revitalizing the old Six Flags site as a means to revive the city, while at the same time giving back to the community by enhancing its economic, cultural, and recreational offerings. The site will also double down as a safe center if another catastrophic hurricane hits the city.

Reviving The Lao Vernacular: Preserving Culture Through Floating Communities, Julianna Viengxay

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The goal of this project is to strengthen a community through a series of cultural activities coexisting with nature with treehouses, houseboats, and a community center through ecotourism in Lao. There has always been floating communities on land, and water due to the heavy amount of rainfall, and monsoons from May to October. A strong focus on design elements such as material, form, and structure while preserving the local culture. Emphasizing the importance of the Lao vernacular with form, and how symbolism throughout in Lao architecture as expression.

Analyzing the indigenous way of local construction to understand the complexities of …

Updates To The Alliance Of Genome Resources Central Infrastructure., The Alliance Of Genome Resources Consortium

Faculty Research 2024

The Alliance of Genome Resources (Alliance) is an extensible coalition of knowledgebases focused on the genetics and genomics of intensively studied model organisms. The Alliance is organized as individual knowledge centers with strong connections to their research communities and a centralized software infrastructure, discussed here. Model organisms currently represented in the Alliance are budding yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, frog, laboratory mouse, laboratory rat, and the Gene Ontology Consortium. The project is in a rapid development phase to harmonize knowledge, store it, analyze it, and present it to the community through a web portal, direct downloads, and application programming interfaces …

Human Il-6 Fosters Long-Term Engraftment Of Patient-Derived Disease-Driving Myeloma Cells In Immunodeficient Mice., Zainul S Hasanali, Alfred L Garfall, Lisa Burzenski, Leonard D. Shultz, Yan Tang, Siddhant Kadu, Neil C Sheppard, Wei Liu, Derek Dopkin, Dan T Vogl, Adam D Cohen, Adam J Waxman, Sandra P Susanibar-Adaniya, Martin Carroll, Edward A Stadtmauer, David Allman

Faculty Research 2024

Multiple myeloma is a largely incurable and life-threatening malignancy of antibody-secreting plasma cells. An effective and widely available animal model that recapitulates human myeloma and related plasma cell disorders is lacking. We show that busulfan-conditioned human IL-6-transgenic (hIL-6-transgenic) NSG (NSG+hIL6) mice reliably support the engraftment of malignant and premalignant human plasma cells, including from patients diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, pre- and postrelapse myeloma, plasma cell leukemia, and amyloid light chain amyloidosis. Consistent with human disease, NSG+hIL6 mice engrafted with patient-derived myeloma cells developed serum M spikes, and a majority developed anemia, hypercalcemia, and/or bone lesions. Single-cell RNA …

Mouse Genome Informatics: An Integrated Knowledgebase System For The Laboratory Mouse., Richard M. Baldarelli, Cynthia Smith, Martin Ringwald, Joel E Richardson, Carol J Bult, Mouse Genome Informatics

Faculty Research 2024

Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) is a federation of expertly curated information resources designed to support experimental and computational investigations into genetic and genomic aspects of human biology and disease using the laboratory mouse as a model system. The Mouse Genome Database (MGD) and the Gene Expression Database (GXD) are core MGI databases that share data and system architecture. MGI serves as the central community resource of integrated information about mouse genome features, variation, expression, gene function, phenotype, and human disease models acquired from peer-reviewed publications, author submissions, and major bioinformatics resources. To facilitate integration and standardization of data, biocuration scientists …

The Effects Of Gamma Glutamyl Cysteinyl Ethyl Ester On Oxidative Stress Biomarkers In Traumatically Injured Rats, Jenna Shoemaker

Honors Theses

Primary injury is the original point where the impact force affects axonal tissue. Secondary injury is often the main complication in patients suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Consequences of secondary injuries include oxidative stress, DNA damage, and protein oxidation, which can impact overall brain function (Moppett). Gamma-glutamyl cysteinyl ethyl ester (GCEE), a glutathione mimetic, has been used as an antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress. This study aims to determine if GCEE is neuroprotective against moderate TBI at extended time points. Results from this work will provide insight for determining the best extended time point to administer treatment. This study …

Living Emission Abolish Filters (Leafs) For Methane Mitigation: Design And Operation, Richard Hamilton, Nicholas Griffith, Peter Salamon, Robert Handler, Marina G. Kalyuzhnaya

Michigan Tech Publications

As one of the most potent greenhouse gases, methane is a critical target for the near-term mitigation of global warming. Efficient, scalable, easy-to-implement, and robust mitigation technologies are urgently needed to assist in reaching methane abolishment. The goal of this research was to test the applicability of active, extremophilic methanotrophic cells as a baseline concept for engineered systems aiming at methane capturing. The system, named living emission abolish filters (LEAFs), represents an array of immobilized biomaterials capable of capturing methane directly from vent streams. The biomaterials were made using cells of Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20ZR, a robust halophilic methanotrophic bacterium with …

Unfulfilled And Unhappy: The Advancements Of Choice In Early 21st Century Drama, Lisa Walton

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Does Dopamine Have A Behavioral Effect On Constant Light?, Alexis Anzalone

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Table Six, Lindsay Gurka

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Stuck In Motion : Finding Function Through The Flux, Nia Lankford

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Artists of all kinds including architects have studied in-depth the dimensions of the natural and built-world that surrounds us in order to produce the theories that have now formed the base of our discipline. Among these naturally formed dimensions lies human scale and proportion, a topic tightly woven within the historical fabric of art and architecture. Vitruvius, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Le Corbusier are just 3 of the many that have dared to define the rules the human body. Human centric design is a form of design that responds directly to the human body as well as human nature in …

Escape: Striving For Well-Being Through Architecture, Moises Marquez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The escalating issue of physical inactivity among children in the United States, propelled by pervasive technology, demands urgent attention. Sedentary lifestyles, characterized by excessive screen time and poor diets, have become the societal norm. The impact extends beyond physical health, affecting cognitive development, social interaction, and nutrition. Prolonged screen time hinders cognitive functions and impedes social development, while unhealthy dietary choices lead to malnutrition, obesity, and chronic diseases.

In response, institutional agencies like the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have formulated guidelines to combat sedentary lifestyles, emphasizing the critical role of childhood and adolescence in …

Urban Mixed Income, Mixed Use Transit Orientated Design A Precast Prefabricated Modular Design Solution To Atlanta's Housing Affordability Crisis, Taharka Askia Muhammad

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis will focus on urban housing affordability with an emphasis on quality mixed income, mixed use, transit orientated housing development (TOD). The primary goal is to provide an adequate number of affordable housing units to allow diversity and inclusion for residents of lower income in nearby communities or otherwise provide greater housing affordability overall. This research aims to propose new construction and creative innovations with precast, prefabricated modular architecture which will take advantage of cost offset strategies, lower cost of construction, efficiency, and speed of construction. The design phase of this thesis will develop a design proposal for the …

A Comprehensive Examination Of Historical Events Leading To Disinterment Practices And Repatriation Delays Involving The Muscogee (Creek) Nation And Etowah Mounds, With An Analysis Of The Vermillion Accord As A Framework For Assessing How Repatriation Is Hindered When Institutions Reject Indigenous ‘Respect’ Ideologies That Honor Ancestral Remains, Wendy Butts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The impetus for this dissertation was a meeting with several subject matter experts belonging to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who shared their interest in garnering enough public support to pressure eleven institutions into returning burial belongings disinterred from the Etowah Mounds. As such, the objective of this historical research was to support the Tribe’s goal by raising public awareness of their decades-long repatriation challenges. In order to accomplish that objective, as a backdrop, this dissertation undertook a comprehensive examination of pertinent pre- and post- contact events surrounding Muskogean-speaking people of the Southeast region, which provided context for why present-day descendants …

Chôros No. 10 "Rasga O Coração" (Tear The Heart) By Heitor Villa-Lobos: A Transcription For Wind Ensemble And Choir., Jose Wilker Augusto Da Silva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This paper aims to comprehensively examine and investigate the musical background of Chôros No. 10, "Rasga Coração" (Tear the Heart), by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, focusing on its original version for orchestra and choir to the transcription for wind ensemble and choir. The Chôros series is a collective of 14 individual compositions in which only 12 were performed, and the last two, No. 13 and No. 14, being lost before their performance. The Chôros No. 10, composed in 1926, is considered Villa-Lobos' masterpiece, bringing classical music a combination of Brazilian culture with early 20th-century European compositional techniques. This project …

Identification And Characterization Of Ube3a Gain Of Function Variants As A Driver Of Neurodevelopmental Disease, Kellan Phoebe Weston

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

UBE3A is a HECT (homologous to E6AP-Terminus) domain E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets substrate proteins for polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The UBE3A gene is of unique interest for its gene dosage-dependent effect in the developing brain: deletion of the maternal copy of UBE3A causes a severe intellectual disability known as Angelman syndrome; meanwhile, duplication or triplication of the genomic region containing UBE3A is linked to a prevalent syndromic form of autism known as Dup15q syndrome. However, little is known about the effects of missense variants which cause a single amino acid change in the resulting UBE3A …

Fecal Genomics Provides Insights On Connectivity Of Endangered Wildlife In A Human Dominated Landscape, Abhinav Tyagi

Theses and Dissertations

Many mammalian species, facing severe historic range reductions, now inhabit fragmented habitats. Habitat fragmentation involves the reduction of habitat into smaller patches, increasing distances between them, and eventually leading to small isolated populations. Species' responses to habitat alteration may vary based on factors such as body size, dispersal ability, and abundance. Understanding these differences is crucial for effective multispecies conservation planning. Genomic data, within a landscape genetic framework, are increasingly applied to evaluate the effects of habitat fragmentation and understand influential landscape features for connectivity. The quantity of data enhances the power and precision of assessing landscape impacts on gene …

Molecular Therapy And Nucleic Acid Adeno-Associated Virus-Based Gene Therapy Delivering Combinations Of Two Growth-Associated Genes To Mps Iva Mice, Estera Rintz, Betul Celik, Nidhi Fnu, Angélica María Herreño-Pachón, Shaukat Khan, Shunji Tomatsu, Eliana Benincore-Flórez

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (MPS IVA) is caused by a deficiency of the galactosamine (N-acetyl)-6-sulfatase (GALNS) enzyme responsible for the degradation of specific glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The progressive accumulation of GAGs leads to various skeletal abnormalities (short stature, hypoplasia, tracheal obstruction) and several symptoms in other organs. To date, no treatment is effective for patients with bone abnormalities. To improve bone pathology, we propose a novel combination treatment with the adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors expressing GALNS enzyme and a natriuretic peptide C (CNP; NPPC gene) as a growth-promoting agent for MPS IVA. In this study, an MPS IVA mouse model was treated …

Progress Toward A Vaccine For Extraintestinal Pathogenic Coli (Expec) Ii: Efficacy Of A Toxin-Autotransporter Dual Antigen Approach, Yikun Xing, Justin R Clark, James D Chang, Jacob J Zulk, Dylan M Chirman, Felipe-Andres Piedra, Ellen E Vaughan, Haroldo J Hernandez Santos, Kathryn A Patras, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a leading cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality, the top cause of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections, and the most frequent cause of life-threatening sepsis and urinary tract infections (UTI) in adults. The development of an effective and universal vaccine is complicated by this pathogen’s pan-genome, its ability to mix and match virulence factors and AMR genes via horizontal gene transfer, an inability to decipher commensal from pathogens, and its intimate association and co-evolution with mammals. Using a pan virulome analysis of >20,000 sequenced E. coli strains, we identified the secreted cytolysin α-hemolysin (HlyA) as a …

Identification Of Potent Pan-Ephrin Receptor Kinase Inhibitors Using Dna-Encoded Chemistry Technology, Chandrashekhar Madasu, Zian Liao, Sydney E Parks, Kiran L Sharma, Kurt M Bohren, Qiuji Ye, Feng Li, Murugesan Palaniappan, Zhi Tan, Fei Yuan, Chad J Creighton, Suni Tang, Ramya P Masand, Xiaoming Guan, Damian W Young, Diana Monsivais, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

EPH receptors (EPHs) are highly sought-after drug targets owing to their essential roles in maintaining appropriate cellular functions in both physiological and disease conditions. However, limited potency and specificity pose significant obstacles to the development of small-molecule inhibitors for EPHs. Here, using high-throughput DNA-encoded chemical library screenings, we developed potent and selective inhibitors of the EPH receptor kinase family. Our results also emphasize the therapeutic potential of our EPH inhibitors in cancer and endometriosis, a global health concern that causes chronic pain and often leads to infertility in women. This study showcases the robust pipeline of using DNA-encoded chemistry technology …