Digital Commons Network^™

Tesori: Uniting Italian Artisans Via An Inline Platform, Ekaterina Kladova

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

The Salamander Fairy Princess, Phoebe Sessler

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Behond The Scenes Of Theo's Tears (2024), Jeremy Todd Shinder

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

The Gamechanger: Dean Santalo, Stefanie Powers, Timea Varga

LYNKD Magazine

No abstract provided.

Against Associational Standing, Michael T. Morley, F. Andrew Hessick

Scholarly Publications

Associational standing is a widely used doctrine that has never been subject to serious academic scrutiny. It allows an organization that has not suffered any injury in fact to sue in its own name to assert its members' causes of action. Though the doctrine is often associated with public interest groups, major corporations have usurped it to be able to sue, through trade groups or entities created solely to pursue a particular lawsuit, without becoming party litigants to the case.

The Supreme Court first recognized associational standing as an offshoot of third-party standing to allow an organization that had suffered …

Transforming Legal Sex, Noa Ben-Asher

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Making A Mother: The Supreme Court And The Constitutive Rhetoric Of Motherhood, Lucy Williams

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rescue From Hybrid Mortality In Nasonia Wasps Through An Interspecific Introgression, Samantha K. Mcginn

Honors College Theses

Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti are parasitoid wasps that use fly pupae as hosts to lay their eggs. These two species can produce hybrids when crossed together. However, hybrids are only partially viable and suffer 50-80% mortality from egg to adult development. The highest mortality occurs when N. giraulti females are used in the cross. Previous research shows that hybrids with an N. vitripennis allele of a mitochondrial-targeted gene within a specific locus on chromosome 5 have incompatible interactions with the N. giraulti mitochondria, which are maternally inherited. Collaborators at the University of Rochester have generated an introgression strain of …

Evolution Of Angular Momentum In Triaxial Dark Matter Halos, Tara C. Nester

Honors College Theses

Galactic halos are believed to form through both the early inflow of dark matter from the cosmic web and mergers over an extended period. At the same time, stellar disks are forming within this evolving halo. How a stellar disk responds to a changing halo is investigated in this study using live n-body disks embedded in an analytic triaxial potential. At triaxialities of a few percent, we find that while there are subtle perturbations in the disk, there is no significant change in the total disk angular momentum. However, between 5 and 10% triaxialities there is a sharp transition to …

Enumeration Of Increasing Trees, Garrett M. Southwood

Honors College Theses

We consider the generating function for increasingly labelled trees. By generalizing the proof through symbolic method, we are able to study various statistics regarding binary increasing trees with respect to height restrictions. We then apply our approach to special colorings of increasing trees in order to obtain their generating functions and, from there, derive the counting sequence for (ak+a)-colored recursive trees. We also present some interesting bijections between colored and non-colored increasing trees.

Dual Suppression Of Glossina Pallidipes Using Entomopathogenic Fungal-Based Biopesticides And Sterile Insect Technique, Fidelis L.O. Ombura, Adly M.M. Abd-Alla, Komivi S. Akutse, Steven Runo, Paul O. Mireji, Rosemary Bateta, Joseck E. Otiwi, Inusa J. Ajene, Fathiya M. Khamis

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse flies and trypanosomosis significantly impact bovine production and human health in sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbating underdevelopment, malnutrition, and poverty. Despite various control strategies, long-term success has been limited. This study evaluates the combined use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and the sterile insect technique (SIT) to combat tsetse flies. Eleven EPF isolates were tested against teneral males of Glossina pallidipes, focusing on mortality rates, radial growth, and impacts on fly fitness. Temperature effects on conidial growth, sporulation, and spore yield of SIT-compatible/tolerant strains were also assessed. The fungal isolates significantly influenced mortality rates in both unirradiated and irradiated (SIT-treated) males (p <  0.0001). Metarhizium anisopliae strains ICIPE 20, ICIPE 32, ICIPE 41, ICIPE 62, ICIPE 78, and Beauveria bassiana ICIPE 603 showed higher SIT compatibility/tolerance with LT50 values of 11–30 days, compared to other more virulent isolates with LT50 values of 4–9 days. Temperature significantly affected the radial growth of SIT-compatible EPF strains (p <  0.0001), with M. anisopliae ICIPE 78 exhibiting the fastest conidia growth at 25°C. Spore yield varied significantly across temperatures (15–40°C), and the thermal range for conidia germination of SIT-compatible strains was 8.1–45.4°C, with an optimal range of 26.7–31.1°C. Moreover, infected unirradiated females and irradiated males (donors) successfully transmitted conidia to untreated flies (receivers) without significant differences in survival rates (p = 0.6438) and no observed sex dimorphism. Our findings highlight the potential of combining EPF and SIT as a novel dual approach that could effectively and synergistically suppress tsetse fly populations.

Tissue-Specific Localization Of Tick-Borne Pathogens In Ticks Collected From Camels In Kenya: Insights Into Vector Competence, Rua Khogali, Armanda Bastos, Joel L. Bargul, Dennis Getange, James Kabii, Daniel Masiga, Jandouwe Villinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Tick-borne pathogen (TBP) surveillance studies often use whole-tick homogenates when inferring tick-pathogen associations. However, localized TBP infections within tick tissues (saliva, hemolymph, salivary glands, and midgut) can inform pathogen transmission mechanisms and are key to disentangling pathogen detection from vector competence. Methods: We screened 278 camel blood samples and 504 tick tissue samples derived from 126 camel ticks sampled in two Kenyan counties (Laikipia and Marsabit) for Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Theileria, and Babesia by PCR-HRM analysis. Results: Candidatus Anaplasma camelii infections were common in camels (91%), but absent in all samples from Rhipicephalus pulchellus, Amblyomma gemma, Hyalomma dromedarii, …

A Convolutional Neural Network With Image And Numerical Data To Improve Farming Of Edible Crickets As A Source Of Food—A Decision Support System, Henry Kyalo, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, James P. Egonyu, John Olukuru, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Kennedy Senagi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) produce sounds as a natural means to communicate and convey various behaviors and activities, including mating, feeding, aggression, distress, and more. These vocalizations are intricately linked to prevailing environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. By accurately monitoring, identifying, and appropriately addressing these behaviors and activities, the farming and production of crickets can be enhanced. This research implemented a decision support system that leverages machine learning (ML) algorithms to decode and classify cricket songs, along with their associated key weather variables (temperature and humidity). Videos capturing cricket behavior and weather variables were recorded. From these videos, sound …

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Infesting Cattle In Coastal Kenya Harbor A Diverse Array Of Tick-Borne Pathogens, Joseph Wang Ang A. Oundo, Shewit Kalayou, Quirine Ten Bosch, Jandouwe Villinger, Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Ticks and the microbes they transmit have emerged in sub-Saharan Africa as a major threat to veterinary and public health. Although progress has been made in detecting and identifying tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) across vast agroecologies of Kenya, comprehensive information on tick species infesting cattle and their associated pathogens in coastal Kenya needs to be updated and expanded. Ticks infesting extensively grazed zebu cattle in 14 villages were sampled and identified based on morphology and molecular methods and tested for the presence of bacterial and protozoan TBPs using PCR with high-resolution melting analysis and gene sequencing. In total, 3,213 adult ticks …

Wto Law And Environmental Processes And Production Methods (Ppms): A Deconstruction, Irene Musselli

Indian Journal of International Economic Law

In principle, WTO members can adopt PPM measures to protect the environment, provided certain conditions are met to prevent the misuse of these measures for protectionist purposes. In practice, the judicial review of such measures in the WTO context is punctuated by practical difficulties, and is fraught with intractable uncertainty: most PPM regulations that were challenged passed on principle but failed on specific details related to the dispute at hand. This article aims to contribute to the PPM discussion by providing critical and deconstructive perspectives on trade law. It argues that the challenges in assessing WTO compliance of PPMs stem …

Assessment And Quantification Of The Microbial Flora In The Output Water Of Two Types Of Dental Chairs: A Comparative Study, Khalil Kharma, Louis Hardan, Cynthia Kassis, Rim Bourgi, Regina Geitani, May Mallah, Elie Maalouf, Carina Mehanna Zogheib

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: Dental Unit Waterlines (DUWL) have shown to be a perfect host for different pathogenic microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the level of bacterial contamination in the output water of 2 types of DUWL.

Methods: Dental unit water samples from the air/water syringe of the A-dec (A-dec™ Performer 200, Newberg, USA) DUWL type and KaVo (ESTETICA™ E30/E70/E80 Vision, Kavo, Biberach, Germany) type were collected and analyzed for total aerobic flora, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, faecal coliforms, total coliforms, faecal streptococci and sulfite-reducing anaerobic flora.

Results: The bacteriological analysis of water samples shows the …

Introduction: Albert’S Philosophical Scientia. Origins, Geneses, Emergences, Katja Krause, Richard C. Taylor

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Wipo Negotiations On Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources And Associated Traditional Knowledge, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

At the 2000 General Assembly, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) established the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) to address intellectual property issues relating to genetic resources, traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs). Although the IGC initially focused its work on studying these issues, it obtained a new mandate to accelerate its work in October 2009 and began text-based negotiations on an international instrument, or international instruments, a few months later. These negotiations paved the way for WIPO to convene a diplomatic conference to conclude an International Legal Instrument Relating …

Narrow But Deep: The Mcculloch Principle, Collective-Action Theory, And Section Three Enforcement, Neil S. Siegel

Faculty Scholarship

In Trump v. Anderson, 144 S. Ct. 662 (2024), the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Colorado Supreme Court erred in excluding President Donald J. Trump from the Republican Party's primary ballot in the state.  The Court reasoned that the Constitution makes Congress, not the states, solely responsible for enforcing Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Scholars of Section 3 have demonstrated that Section 3 is self-executing, so the Court's rationale lacks a sound basis in the original or contemporary meaning of the text of the Civil War Amendments, the original intent of their drafters, or …

Accessing And Assessing Components Of Elementary And Middle School Students’ Mathematical Disposition Through Metaphors, Emily Deal, Edward Mooney, Amanda Cullen, Neet Priya Bajwa, Allison M. Kroesch, Julien Corven, Beth Macdonald

Faculty Publications – Mathematics

This study examined student-generated metaphors comparing food to math as a means of accessing and assessing components of prekindergarten through Grade 8 students’ (N = 306) mathematical disposition. Previous research provided insight into predominantly affective components of older students’ mathematical disposition (i.e. Grade 4 through college). However, we extend these findings to include nonaffective components and younger students. Our study highlights the value in conceptualizing mathematical disposition as the sum of three mental functions, namely cognitive (e.g., mental processes such as reasoning), affective (e.g., attitudes, feelings, beliefs about mathematics or oneself as a learner), and conative (e.g., effort, grit, …

Developmental Stress Signaling And Substance Use: Cortisol Reactivity Moderates The Effect Of Early Life Adversity On Alcohol Misuse Behaviors Among College Students, Keeley Lariviere

CMC Senior Theses

Stress-motivated drinking is common among college students facing increased independence and novel stressors. Early life adversity (ELA) as well as individual variation in neuroendocrine stress signaling significantly increase risk for alcohol misuse. Research on the relationships between ELA and the physiological stress response system, suggest that a dampened stress response may mediate the relations between ELA and alcohol misuse. However, other research has suggested that rather than acting as mediator, stress reactivity may interact (moderate) the relations between ELA and alcohol misuse. This study examined the associations between ELA, cortisol reactivity to an acute stressor, and self-reported alcohol misuse in …

Harnessing Antagonistic Pleiotropy: Tolc-Dependent Coliphages Can Drive Reduced Antibiotic Resistance In E. Coli, Cooper Mckenna

CMC Senior Theses

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens has been a growing concern in healthcare around the world, and bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising method to combat MDR infections. One defense mechanism of E. coli against antibiotics is the TolC-AcrAB efflux pump. At the same time, some phages use TolC as a surface receptor to infect the cell. This puts TolC at a crossroads in which it is beneficial to the bacteria to protect against antibiotics but harmful by allowing phage infection, creating the potential for evolutionary trade-offs. Previous research has identified only three TolC-dependent phages and shown phage-resistant E. …

The Future Of Hydropower In Southeast Asia’S Renewable Energy Transition, Olivia Cairns

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis will examine the barriers to implementing hydropower in Southeast Asia and propose responsible solutions. This is necessary because Southeast Asia is not on track to reduce carbon emissions to meet climate change mitigation goals. Coal often outcompetes renewable energy sources as a means of addressing the growing demand for electricity. Many insist that the potential for solar and wind power expansion is high, but often ignore the key problems with these renewables at an industrial scale. Hydroelectric dams face rampant social opposition, mistrust due to policy failures, and a poor reputation for causing social and environmental harm. Yet, …

Unselfing Love: An Analytical Account Of Personal Love And Its Compatibility With Other-Regarding Love, Fangyi(Steve) Wang

CMC Senior Theses

There is a wealth of philosophical literature on love. The two main camps of literature are descriptive and analytical. The former aims to best synthesize and describe how people manifest love in real life, while the latter takes the normative position of evaluating how people should be loving, which normally blends love with a hint of ethical or justice related principles.

One hidden theme that underlies many of the debates on love is the relation to the lover’s self. As this paper will gradually unfold, there are many self-interested reasons disguised behind the philosophical definition of love and the reason …

Dark As Day, Rachel Keady

CMC Senior Theses

“All works, no matter what or by whom painted, are nothing but bagatelles and childish trifles... unless they are made and painted from life, and there can be nothing... better than to follow nature." - Caravaggio

In the fall of 2021, I registered to take “Italian Baroque Art” with Professor Gorse at Pomona College, for the spring of 2022. Professor Faggen, one of my advisors, encouraged this and piqued my interest in the characters of this world. After some casual online research, I was transfixed by one artist in particular: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. How could I not be struck …

Drone-Based Topographic Monitoring Of The Doheny Beach Replenishment Project As An Alternative To Land-Based Monitoring, Miller Mccraw

CMC Senior Theses

The rising threat of coastal erosion to California’s beach ecosystems and economy has fueled a rise in coastal stabilization projects, including beach replenishment. This process’s potentially adverse impact on a beach’s topography and ecosystem makes post-replenishment monitoring essential for long-term coastline management. Drone-based monitoring presents itself as a faster, cheaper, and safer alternative to traditional post-replenishment monitoring but has little proof of concept as a practical substitute. This study used drone-based photogrammetry coupled with publicly available wave data to track elevation changes at Doheny and San Capistrano Beach after a beach replenishment project to both determine the beach’s resilience to …

Auden: Body/Mind, Basil Lloyd-Moffett

CMC Senior Theses

On one hand Auden appears the most cerebral of poets. It is said that when he arrived at school, aged eight, he professed himself excited to study the different psychological types, and the cryptic verse that was to emerge over a decade later bears the scars of his reading, psychological or otherwise, as clearly as the relentlessly analytical Dichtung und Wahrheit and other late works.Absorbing and repurposing philosophical, psychological, religious, and scientific works was an essential part of his artistic strategy, and led to credible accusations of plagiarism on a number of occasions.And just as his collaborators and friends mocked …

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Employing Integrative Medicine As An Approach To Treat Cancer, Jade Hudson

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through its depiction in the four classics of TCM and examines the evolution of the field to date. The five categories of TCM treatments analyzed in this paper include acupuncture, dietary therapy, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and physical exercise. Research highlights significant positive outcomes in cancer patients who incorporate TCM alongside modern cancer treatments, such as reduced nausea, vomiting, fatigue, anorexia, pain, and improvements in quality of life and overall well-being. However, notable risks associated with TCM herbal medicine and moxibustion underscore the need for further research into these practices before …

Views Around The Ring, Patrick Wilson

CMC Senior Theses

My thesis shows the visuals and sound aesthetics of the video game series Halo. For my thesis, I created a 7-and-a-half-minute abstract video containing cutscenes in-game visuals over music from the different games, with an accompanying essay talking about the game and my video. I created this thesis because Halo was and still is a game that has been with me most of my life and I wanted to capture what I thought was important to the game. I achieved this through mixing soundtracks and editing in-game footage and cutscenes together. I learned that creating an abstract video takes a …

The Impact Of The Use Of Mercury In Mining In Colombia, Johan Martinez

CMC Senior Theses

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a practice that is common all around the world, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It is also one of the leading consumers of mercury and leading sources of emissions. Governments have banned the use of mercury completely, including Colombia, but it continues to be used and emitted into the environment. This issue is exacerbated because there is a lack of standards, a lack of research done regarding mercury use in mining, and a complex socio-political history in Colombia. For this reason, this paper seeks to provide a proposed pathway for research to …