Digital Commons Network^™

Implicating North American Lizards In The Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Stricto Sylvatic Cycle, Tristan Anthony Nowak

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi s.l.) spirochetes are the causative agents of Lyme disease (LD, Lyme borreliosis), the leading cause of tick-borne illness in North America (NA), Europe, and throughout temperate zones of the Holarctic region. Ixodes ticks are the only competent genus that permit acquisition, maintenance, and successful transmission of LD bacteria to subsequent hosts. LD spirochetes are unable to effectively pass through transovarial barriers, from adults to eggs, and therefore, next generation larvae are Lyme borreliae-free. Instead, B. burgdorferi s.l. are reliant on maintenance in both vertebrate and arthropod hosts to perpetuate high prevalence in nature. Of …

Genus-Specific Probes And Advanced Imaging Technologies For Bacterial Detection In Canine Dental Plaque, Meghan Stern

ALL - Honors Theses

Periodontal disease is an inflammation of the gums that can progress to bone resorption in the jaw and eventual tooth loss. A contributor to this disease is the buildup of subgingival and supragingival plaque, which consists of hundreds of bacterial species. To study the bacteria involved in periodontal disease, we use extracted canine teeth as our model. Canines were chosen based on their similarities with humans at the bacterial phylum level, as well as having a similar progression of periodontal disease. However, there are significant differences at lower levels of taxonomy of bacterial abundance and prevalence. The abundance and prevalence …

An Analysis Of Differential Object Marking In Copala Triqui, Erin Mcgrath

ALL - Honors Theses

In this thesis, I review and investigate differential object marking in Copala Triqui, which uses the word man to overtly mark accusative case. Overt case marking is optional in some contexts and required in others. I describe the current literature on the topic and summarize the findings of other researchers on the optionality of man. Additionally, I examine another way to analyze differential object marking according to the qualities of the object only (“local”) or the relationship between the subject and object (“global”). The labels of local and global can be applied to existing analyses. The animacy, personhood, and pronominal …

Roia: An Open-Source Imagej Macro For Region-Of-Interest Creation And Analysis, Teja Rathnam Buddhavarapu

ALL - Honors Theses

For those determined to study disease states, systems, or circuits in vivo, histology is the alpha and omega of our investigations. We often begin and end by confirming the location and extent of our perturbations. Yet, as deeply rooted as it is in our experimental practice, histological analyses have remained largely stagnant. Experimenter drawn regions-of-interest (ROIs), intensity normalizing by eye, and inconsistent output metrics are just some of the limitations of current image analysis pipelines. To address these challenges, I developed RoiA, a FIJI-enabled macro which automatically characterizes ROIs in a provided image and analyzes key metrics across …

Examining Diachronic Use Of Exotic Lithic Material From A Multicomponent Archaeological Site On Newfoundland, Canada, Addison Robbins

ALL - Honors Theses

Newfoundland has been home to several different cultural groups such as the Maritime Archaic, different Paleo-Eskimo groups, the Beothuk, and many others. These cultures are all unique in their own ways and the majority have been documented using the exotic material, Ramah chert. This material is typically found within seabed’s or within deep lakes because of the continuous sediment deposit. The excavation and lab analysis have emphasized the continuous use of this material over time. This can be attributed to several factors such as cultural significance or durability. This paper will mainly touch on the culturally significant aspects because of …

Identifying Novel Therapeutics And Modifiers Of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1, Jesus Alberto Frias

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The expansion of microsatellite repeats within the human genome has been identified as the cause of numerous hereditary diseases, including myotonic dystrophy (DM). DM is an autosomal dominant disease with a worldwide prevalence of ~1:8000 individuals. DM presents multisystemic symptoms such as myotonia, cardiac conduction defects, muscle wasting and weakness, insulin resistance, and cataracts. There are two genetically distinct, yet clinically similar types of DM: DM type 1 (DM1), caused by CTG repeat expansions in the 3’ UTR of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene and DM type 2 (DM2), resulting from CCTG repeat expansions in the first intron …

Gender Construction, Inequality, And Lgbt Participation In The Politics Of Myanmar, Nant Mu Say Khaleim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores the complex relationships between gender dynamics, inequality, and LGBT participation within Myanmar’s political landscape in general. The aim was to identify the challenges and experiences LGBT individuals and women encounter as they navigate their political engagement in Myanmar. I strived to achieve this by conducting a qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles and reports from rights-based organizations between 2011 and 2023. In this study, I found that there are several challenges that LGBT people and women encounter; these challenges are a result of ingrained gender norms, religious beliefs, social expectations, and legal frameworks. I found that LGBT …

From Stone To Silicone: Interdisciplinary Insights Into The Co-Evolution Of Humans, Tools And Technologies, Mahnoor Zahid '24

Honor Scholar Theses

Excerpt: "The following thesis then explores how we as a species evolved in accordance to our tool technology. My initial hypothesis was that humans evolved because our tool technology made us smarter: the more we engaged with our tools, the more our brains found different ways to challenge themselves. This hypothesis stemmed from the initial observation I, as a modern human, have made: the more enriched our environment is as a human, the more our brains are able to grow. As children we are taught that exercise, books, and problem solving activities help the successful development and maturation of our …

Posthumanism In Literature: Redefining Selfhood, Temporality, And Reality/Ies Through Fiction, Eileen Kelley Pierce

English (MA) Theses

While fictional novels are often seen as a way to escape reality, their relation to reality and the ways in which they distort or reinforce our understandings of reality can provide significant insights into our cultural values and beliefs. Using posthumanist theory, I examine how understandings of selfhood and its relations to time and reality are complicated within three works of fiction and how those complications represent and articulate a societal shift in meaning and knowledge that is supported by posthumanist ideologies. The three works, No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, Wolf in White Van by John …

“No One To Show Us The Way:” Assessing The Contemporary Relevance Of The Gay Male Bildungsroman, Matthew Lemas

English (MA) Theses

The gay male bildungsroman can trace its origins to E.M. Forster’s posthumously published Maurice (1971) and Edmund White’s A Boy’s Own Story (1982), among other examples. While nested under the umbrella category of the queer bildungsroman (and, more broadly, the bildungsroman), the gay male iteration particularly explores integrational challenges related to the extant tensions between hegemonic masculinity and the male protagonist’s sexuality and gender identity. The subgenre—often conflated with the “coming out novel”—has faced a range of criticism in its roughly half-century existence. Scholars have accused it of banality, often relying on a limited range of well-trodden tropes; lacking diversity, …

The Beginning Of The End: The Cultivation Of Transchronological Perceptuality In Arcadia And “Story Of Your Life”, Sawyer Kelly

English (MA) Theses

This thesis explores the spatio-temporal landscapes of Ted Chiang’s “The Story of Your Life” and Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. Both authors engage with intersections between past, present, and future, challenging readers to reframe the conventions of linear chronology in favor of a fluid, palimpsestic approach to time and space that reflects the past and future’s ongoing influence in constructing our impression of the “now.” To illustrate this temporal blending, Chiang and Stoppard implement alternative language modes predicated upon visual and sensory rhetorics, centralizing the politics of human perception as dually illuminating and obfuscating reality. This project employs an interdisciplinary approach, adopting …

Escape, Chris Howes

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Using Efficacious Content Area Literacy Practices To Support Student Improvement And Perception Of Self-Efficacy, Christine Mccabe

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how students’ self-efficacy, confidence, and motivation change when students use content area literacy practices in math. This study was guided by the affective theories of Bandura, Maslow, and Guthrie & Wigfield. This study used qualitative research, focusing on collecting data through anecdotal evidence, student self-evaluation surveys, student journal responses, and a teacher research journal. Throughout the six week study, students participated in lessons focused on improving self-efficacy, confidence and motivation. Additionally, students learned to make connections between math and literacy through math literacy tasks, such as numberless word problems. Following the study, data was analyzed through triangulation …

The Role Of B Cell Activation State And Sex In Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Mediated Induction Of Chemokine Receptor 9 And Alpha4beta7 Expression In Vitro, Logan Bauerle

Master's Theses

Defense of mucosal tissues from microbial infection and allergy is reliant on continual production of antibodies. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is known to regulate B cell development and is associated with suppression of systemic humoral immunity. Recent attention has been paid to the role of the AhR in altering expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). B cells express CAMs and chemokine receptors to migrate around the body for localized secretion of antibodies. AhR agonists promote B cell migration to the small intestine through upregulation of chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) and integrin α₄β₇. Both the AhR …

Role Of Atp-Binding Cassette (Abc) Transporters As A Protector Of Testis Stem Cell Niche From Chemotherapy Drugs In Drosophila Melanogaster, Swagata Maity

Master's Theses

In chemotherapy treatments most tumor cells are destroyed by drugs, but some tumor cells are drug resistant, and these are known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). Normal adult stem cells are also chemo resistant. Therefore, investigation of normal stem cells can be useful to provide further knowledge of CSCs. One of the primary ways that CSCs achieve drug resistance is by drug efflux through transmembrane pumps called ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Many studies on ABC transporters have been performed in vitro using cultured cell lines, but very few studies have been performed on normal stem cell populations in vivo. Drosophila …

Potential Bioprospecting Within Vemons Of Rear-Fanged Snakes, Tanner Milbank Harvey

Master's Theses

Philodryas baroni (Baron’s Green Racer) and Trimorphodon lambda (Sonoran Lyre Snake) each belong to extensively studied genera of rear-fanged venomous snakes. Investigating the bioactivities and structural composition through methods not typically included in venomic workflows, which use homologous sequences and describe venoms by their constituent peptides, provides valuable insights into both the degree and extent to which venom diversity and complexity can be overlooked by many venomic workflows. This study explores the venom compositions of P. baroni and T. lambda and compares them to published toxins observed in opisthoglyphous snakes, specifically taxon-selective three-finger toxins and metalloprotease-dominated venoms.

This study underscores …

Ototoxicity Monitoring Protocols For Common Chemotherapeutics, Megan Pamela Kennedy

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Cancer is a major public health concern and is increasingly prevalent worldwide. Sung et al. (2021) states that there were 19.3 million new cases of cancer across the globe, and almost 10 million deaths related to cancer in 2021. Sung et al. (2021) also notes that the United States accounts for 8% of all global cases, with an average of 1.7 million new cases annually. The top five most common adult cancers in the United States include: (1) breast, (2) prostate, (3) lung and bronchus, (4) colorectal, and (5) invasive melanoma of the skin. These cancers can be treated with …

Strategies For Reducing Auditory Risk From A Typical Drum Set, Alyssa Marie Beatty

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Percussionists are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss. They are especially at risk because of the type of sound produced by their instrument – impact noise. The quick onset and offset times combined with the high peak intensity levels can create permanent damage to the auditory system. Damage to the auditory system because of excessive exposure to music is called a music-induced hearing disorder (MIHD).

A MIHD may manifest as many different permanent disorders including music-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, decreased sound tolerance, diplacusis, or dysacusis. Symptoms of these disorders may affect the musicians in their art and their jobs as …

Considerations For Virtual Reality In Architectural Design Development, Alexander White

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This is an undergraduate thesis research about the exploration of Virtual Reality (VR) in the architectural design career field at the design development stage for architectural projects. VR is a tool that is available for designers to use to make design decisions for their projects and is used to explore the design in space at a one-to-one scale. VR has proven itself to be a valuable resource for designers and clients; however, it has been personally observed that VR is not as utilized as much as it could be in the architectural design development workflow. The purpose of this research …

Antioxidant Activities And Protective Effects Of Shorea Macrophylla Leaf And Bark Extracts, Salfarina Ramli, Nik Nor Sabrina Sukri, Nur Adhwa’ Faqihah Zulkifli, Donna Maretta Ariestanti, Chee Yan Choo, Hasseri Halim, Nurhuda Manshoor, Richard Johari James

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Shorea macrophylla, also known as the ‘Engkabang’ tree or Light Red Meranti, is renowned for its role in reforestation efforts. Despite lacking records of traditional use, the reported biological activities of other species within the Shorea genus spark curiosity about the potential biological activities of this plant. Therefore, this study aims to explore the antioxidant capabilities of S. macrophylla leaf and bark extracts, along with their protective effects against oxidative stress using a brine shrimp model. In the evaluation of antioxidant potential, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were employed. Extracts were incubated in …

Special Anatomy Series. Imaging Inner Ear Structures With High-Frequency Ultrasound: Application To Physical Rehabilitation Space Medicine., Jeffrey Strakowski, Han Zhang, Millard Reschke, Faye Y Chiou-Tan

Neuroscience Articles

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to document the feasibility of image acquisition, image optimization, and sonographic appearance of the exposed anatomic windows of cadaveric inner ear dissection for purposes of potential future clinical evaluation as part of the developing area of physical and rehabilitation space medicine.

METHODS: Cadaveric dissection of the inner ear was conducted with the goal of exposing areas relevant to vestibular balance. Middle and inner ear structures of 3 human cadavers were imaged with multiple broadband transducers, including emphasis with higher frequency transducers.

RESULTS: The images were best optimized with 17 MHz and 22 MHz …

Season Of Grazing Interacts With Soil Texture, Selecting For Associations Of Biocrust Morphogroups, Lea A. Condon, Roger Rosentreter, Kari E. Veblen, Peter S. Coates

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Livestock grazing, a widespread land use in semi-arid systems, is often placed in opposition to the perpetuation of biological soil crusts (“biocrusts”: lichens, mosses, and algal crusts including cyanobacteria) that live on the soil surface and provide ecosystem functions. The composition of biocrusts and vascular plants varies with climate, soils, and disturbance. In general, ruderal mosses and light algal crusts make up greater proportions of biocrusts in the presence of disturbance, although morphogroups of biocrusts respond differently to various disturbances. It is unknown if there are scenarios under which grazing can occur and ruderal components of biocrust could be maintained. …

Nebline, May 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Weed Control in Pastures and Hayfields by John Nelson

Navigating Nutrition Information: Separating Fact from Fiction by Alyssa Havlovic

Recipe of the Month: Pepper Steak Sandwich by Alyssa Havlovic

Care for New Bedding Plants by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Cash Rent Survey

No Matter Where You Live, Submit a Request Before You Dig! by Becky Schuerman

4-H Achievement Celebration

8 Lancaster County 4-H’ers Modeled Their Sewn Garments at Omaha Fashion Week

4-H Events Open to All Youth

Support 4-H by Eating Out, May 1 & 2

Support 4-H During “Give to Lincoln Day,” May 30 …

303 Creative Llc, Public Accommodations Law, And The Many Possible Futures Of Rights, Jacob Eisler

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The unifying theme of the contributions to this Collection of Essays on 303 Creative LLC, which emerged from a panel held at the 2024 American Association of Law Schools meeting, is that while 303 Creative LLC may have brought these themes forward, their full expositions lie in the hands of Supreme Court jurisprudence that is yet to come...

In exploring these possibilities, this Collection seeks to anticipate what might come next for both the First Amendment and public accommodations law.

This abstract has been taken from the author's introduction.

Democratic Vibes, Jonathan Gingerich

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Who should decide who gets to say what on online social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube? American legal scholars have often thought that the private owners of these platforms should decide, in part because such an arrangement is thought to serve valuable free speech interests. This standard view has come under pressure with the enactment of statutes like Texas House Bill 20, which forbids certain platforms from “censoring” user content based on viewpoint. Such efforts to regulate the speech policies of online platforms have been challenged for undermining the editorial speech rights of these platforms and allowing the …

Comparative Research Of Rural Drinking Water Supply In Mongolia And Alaska, Batsuren Ganbat

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

This comparative research project on rural drinking water supply in Mongolia and Alaska aimed to understand the challenges, dynamics, and best practices surrounding water access and utilities in rural communities within these regions. Through meticulous planning and execution, three cities in Mongolia and three cities in Alaska were selected as primary areas of study to capture the nuances and variations inherent in water supply dynamics across diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts. The objectives included investigating rural water supply systems, developing evidence-based recommendations, and fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. A comprehensive literature review provided insights into existing scholarly works relevant to …

Perceived Barriers And Facilitators To Food Security In Ketchikan Alaska, Jessi Teune

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Ketchikan, Alaska is Alaska's First City and is famously known as the Salmon Capital of the world. Ketchikan is Lingít Aaní, the ancestral land of the Taantʼá Ḵwáan and Saanya Ḵwáan people of Revillagigedo Island.1 Ketchikan Gateway Borough is home to 13,754 residents.2 Being located on an island presents unique challenges to the residents regarding food security. Food that is not harvested or grown locally is shipped via barge from Seattle, WA. Limited published research exists regarding food security in Alaska, and primary research on food security in Ketchikan is nonexistent. The goal of this study is to analyze food …

A Cytoarchitectural Analysis Of The Rat Amygdala In Ultrathin Serial Sections, Katrina Schneider

Honors Scholar Theses

This study delves into the cellular composition and functional dynamics of the lateral amygdala (LA), a crucial brain region implicated in emotional and auditory processing/learning. Utilizing IHC, ultrathin serial sectioning (Ultraplex Method), and RNAscope, distinct cell types are characterized within the LA based on calcium-binding proteins (CBPs) and inhibitory markers such as GABA. Despite a modest sample size, a diverse array of cell types are identified, with calbindin-positive neurons prominently emerging in inhibitory cells. Notably, GABA intensity varies depending on cell identity and marker colocalization, hinting at complex regulatory mechanisms involving GABAergic signaling and CBPs. Analysis of vesicular glutamate transporter …

Cpeb3 Maintains Developmental Competence Of The Oocyte, Lucie Lamacova, Denisa Jansova, Zongliang Jiang, Michal Dvoran, Daria Aleshkina, Rajan Iyyappan, Anna Jindrova, Heng Yu Fan, Yuxuan Jiao, Andrej Susor

Faculty Publications

Mammalian oocyte development depends on the temporally controlled translation of maternal transcripts, particularly in the coordination of meiotic and early embryonic development when transcription has ceased. The translation of mRNA is regulated by various RNA-binding proteins. We show that the absence of cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein 3 (CPEB3) negatively affects female reproductive fitness. CPEB3-depleted oocytes undergo meiosis normally but experience early embryonic arrest due to a disrupted transcriptome, leading to aberrant protein expression and the subsequent failure of embryonic transcription initiation. We found that CPEB3 stabilizes a subset of mRNAs with a significantly longer 3’UTR that is enriched in its …

Screening Full-Sib And Half-Sib Families Of Chestnut Seedlings For Resistance To Cryphonectria Parasitica Using A Small Stem Assay And A Leaf-Disc Assay, Uma Plambeck

Honors Theses

Cryphonectria parasitica is the ascomycete fungus species that causes chestnut blight disease. Symptoms of chestnut blight include bark cankers and eventually the death of American chestnut, Castanea dentata. However, not all Castanea species are equally affected by the disease, and some Asian species appear highly resistant. The OALDS and SSA in this study aim to assist in screening for resistance to C. parasitica within a year. We investigated the effect of C. parasitica on three North American species, one European species, four East Asian species of Castanea, and nine full-sib families of TACF backcross hybrids. Our study used both a …