Digital Commons Network^™

Habitat Selection And Connectivity Of Mountain Lions (Puma Concolor) Across Anthropogenic Barriers On The Olympic Peninsula: A Multi-Method Comparison, Thomas R. Barbee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Designing and maintaining effective wildlife corridors is an increasingly important conservation challenge in today’s fragmenting landscapes. GPS-based resource selection functions and camera-based occupancy models are both well-established staples of wildlife connectivity analyses and corridor planning, but each have notable trade-offs in cost and data resolution. Wildlife organizations worldwide rely heavily on camera-based occupancy modelling to plan wildlife corridors, especially where resource limitations or ethical concerns prohibit the use of GPS tags. If spatial connectivity maps from occupancy models could be shown to capture the essential elements of animal movement well enough to identify functionally equivalent corridors to those identified in …

A Comparison Of Concurrent Training And Moderate Intensity Continuous Training In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, Amanda Alfaro-Chaverri, John Quindry, Charles Dumke, Brian Loyd

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Moderate intensity continuous training (MICT) is the most studied method in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Traditionally, resistance training has been utilized as a secondary role in CR. Recent interest in the topic suggests that MICT and resistance training should be applied collectively, an approach termed concurrent training (CT). The collective understanding of the potential of CT in CR patients is currently lacking.

Purpose: The aim of this professional paper is to analyze scientific evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of CT versus MICT. The analysis will focus on five primary measurements: exercise capacity, cardiovascular …

Historical Overview Of Education For The Deaf And Finding Deafhood Within Changing Sociocultural, Political, And Educational Contexts: A Narrative Rita J. Brandborg, Rita J. Brandborg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Er To Golgi Transport By Alg-2 And Peflin In Response To Calcium Signaling, And A Review Of Relevant Genetically-Encoded Fluorescent Tools, Danette M. Kowal Seiler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The endoplasmic reticulum performs multiple functions in the eurkaryotic cell: biomolecule synthesis, protein folding, cargo sorting and secretion, and helping to maintain cellular calcium homeostasis. Though much has been discovered about these processes and the myriad proteins, enzymes, transcription factors, ions and other factors that play their own parts, much is still left to learn. To facilitate continued study of ER-to-Golgi transport, an array of genetically-encoded fluorescent tools are available to researchers. The featured review in Chapter 1 details the history of these tools and highlights some of the newest, which also incorporate information from the fields of synthetic chemistry …

Recovering The Nium Trail: A Journey Through Collaboration And Multidisciplinary Mapping, Crystal West

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study explores and maps an ancient, historic, and contemporary travel corridor that follows the San Joaquin River in the Central Sierra Nevada of California. It is called the Nium or People’s Trail by the North Fork Mono Tribe, the French Trail in historic archives, and the Mammoth Trail on contemporary US Forest Service maps. When I agreed to the request by Chairman Ron Goode of the North Fork Mono Tribe to map the Nium Trail, I was saying yes to a different, more broad and inclusive approach than I had previously taken as an archaeologist documenting archaeological sites and …

A New Frontier Of Responsibility: Children's Attributions Of Moral Responsibility To Autonomous And Controlled Robots, Thomas M. Macko

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A prevailing theory in moral psychology, known as the Theory of Dyadic Morality, proposes that we evaluate moral transgressions primarily through weighing the mental states and intentions of both the perpetrator and the victim of a given transgression. Previous research has found adults and children similarly refer to mental states and intentions when making moral evaluations as third-party observers of a moral transgression. How might this framework apply to social robots, who arguably lack the mental states and intentions we can effortlessly identify in humans? The present study sought to examine how children view a social robot as culpable for …

A Replicating Rna Vaccine For Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Protects Via Non-Neutralizing Anti-Nucleoprotein Antibodies And Trim21, Shanna Star Leventhal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is a negative-sense, tick-borne bunyavirus endemic to Europe, Asia, and Africa. CCHFV may cause a severe hemorrhagic disease with a case fatality rate of 5-70% and, to date, there are no widely available or highly efficacious vaccines or therapeutics. Because of its widespread distribution and lack of countermeasures, the WHO has listed CCHFV as a high priority pathogen.

Here, we report a self-replicating, alphavirus-based RNA vaccine that expresses the CCHFV nucleoprotein (repNP) and glycoprotein precursor (repGPC). Initial studies showed that repNP induces high titers of non-neutralizing anti-NP antibodies while repGPC stimulates a robust T-cell response. …

Prevalence Of Resistant Escherichia Coli Isolated From Local Meats Sold In Tema Metropolis, Ghana, Frederick Adzitey, Innocent Allan Anachinaba, Charles Addo-Quaye Brown, Nurul Huda, Masmuniri Rambli

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Contamination of meat by Escherichia coli (E. coli) can take its source from the live animal or by cross contamination. The study determined the prevalence of resistance of E. coli isolated from locally produced meats in the Tema Metropolis. Beef (n=200), chicken (n=200) and pork (n=200) were randomly selected and evaluated for the presence of E. coli using the procedure in the Bacteriological Analytical Manual of USA-FDA. The disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic susceptibility test of E. coli (n=55) isolates. Locally produced beef (67%), chicken (41%) and pork (23%) were contaminated by E. coli. Escherichia coli isolates were …

Project Wars: A Serious Game To Teach Decision Making In Project Execution, Cecil Eng Huang Chua, Veda C. Storey, Linda Wallace

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Project execution (i.e., the production, delivery, and deployment of an information system project's outputs) is a difficult concept to teach effectively because of the many real-time decision-making variables facing a project manager. This paper introduces Project Wars, a web-based serious game designed to teach the project execution concepts of deferral of gratification, organizational mindfulness, and discipline in the face of adversity. Project Wars serves as both a platform to instill these concepts and as a basis for discussions on other critical concepts. The latter includes project team management and control, project leadership, the relationship between productivity, slack, and overtime, and …

Investigating Ammonium Toxicity In The Performance Of Recirculating Periphytic Algal Wastewater Treatment Systems, Oluchuku Richie Ochonogor

Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater nutrient enrichment from wastewater facilities and other sources can lead to freshwater eutrophication, a threat to global aquatic ecosystems. Mechanical and chemical ways to curb this threat are either too expensive or not sustainable, and thus, not feasible. Compared to mechanical and other methods, sustainable, inexpensive biological methods (for example, algal treatment systems) have therefore been developed for the removal of excess nutrients from wastewater. By design, secondary waste treatment facilities (WWTF) remove organics and solids and lower oxygen demanding substances; however, they may not remove enough nutrients to protect freshwater ecosystems in all cases. While algae-based biological methods …

A Phytochemical Analysis Of Secondary Metabolites In Eupatorium Serotinum, Elise Snow

Theses and Dissertations

Phytochemistry, a subset of Natural Products Chemistry, studies chemically derived products from natural substances. Advances in this field have important applications in medicinal research due to the distinctive and unique properties of natural compounds. All metabolites are produced from the metabolic cycle, which is a pathway that provides energy for the organism. These metabolic compounds vary greatly and are classified based on their function within the organism. Primary metabolites are abundant and contribute to organism growth, development, and maintenance of energy. Secondary metabolites are found in lesser quantity and correlate to natural defense mechanisms. For example, salicylic acid is a …

What Does It Mean To Be A Human In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence?, Campbell R. Eubanks

Theses and Dissertations

Campbell Eubanks’ artwork reflects ideas surrounding the ever-growing complexities of human nature in the context of our growing world. She uses ceramics to investigate human purpose in a digital world by employing artificial intelligence along with her own skills and craft. Her work aims to challenge viewers to contemplate the intricate relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. During her research, Eubanks has looked towards other artists who invite AI into their traditional practices. Sougwen Chung is one example of this. Chung has trained AI robots to learn her style and works alongside them in performances to create collaborative gestural drawings. …

The Impact Of California Law Ab 948 On Patient Outcomes In Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction, Yvette Arzaga

Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound Projects

This literature review will explore if patients in California with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) taking a single prescription medication that exceeds $250 per 30 day supply will benefit from the passing of California Law AB 948 titled Prescription Drugs in 2023.

A comprehensive literature review on papers comparing prescription medication effectiveness for LVOTO, medication dosing, and price for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy was completed. Research papers were written by doctors who have treated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and researchers investigating new drug treatment success. Goodrx.com was used to price suggested pharmacological agents.

Seven drugs were priced at low and high doses. …

Climate Change And Critical Agrarian Studies, Ian Scoones, Saturnino M. Borras Jr., Amita Baviskar, Marc Edelman, Nancy Peluso, Wendy Wolford

Publications and Research

Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to humanity today and plays out as a cruel engine of myriad forms of injustice, violence and destruction. The effects of climate change from human-made emissions of greenhouse gases are devastating and accelerating; yet are uncertain and uneven both in terms of geography and socio-economic impacts. Emerging from the dynamics of capitalism since the industrial revolution — as well as industrialisation under state-led socialism — the consequences of climate change are especially profound for the countryside and its inhabitants. The book interrogates the narratives and strategies that frame climate change and examines the …

A Rule-Based Hybrid Translation Model For Context-Aware Speech To Indian Sign Language Tasks, Dania Jaison

Master's Projects

In India, one of the most significant tools to communicate with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) communities is Indian Sign Language(ISL). The issue of a scarcity of computational resources for ISL is even more pronounced when it comes to the translation of written or spoken English into ISL. This paper proposes a rule-based model for translation where the spoken english sentences are translated into ISL by focusing on the specific syntactic and grammatical differences between these two languages. ISL uses a simplified syntax unlike the nuanced sentence structures in English — we omit most of the auxiliary verbs …

Comparison Of Protein Structures Predicted By Genai Tools In A Zero-Shot Manner, Kruthi Shankar Rao

Master's Projects

Generative AI models have vast applications and one such critical application explored in this study is protein structure prediction. The 3D structures of proteins determine their function. Our study mainly focuses on using generative AI models such as ESMFold and ColabFold to predict and examine naturally occurring and mutated sequences. The workflow begins with collecting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and toxin-antitoxin (TA) protein data. The sequences are applied over pretrained AI models to predict protein structures. Following this, models are fine-tuned with original and mutated target datasets. A comparison of models’ performances is done using metrics such as root mean square …

Facial Expression Mood Classification Using Machine Learning, Tiantong Li

Master's Projects

Facial expression classification is a powerful tool for understanding human emotions, with applications spanning human-computer interaction, healthcare, and entertainment. By analyzing facial cues, systems can interpret emotional states and adapt their responses, creating more personalized and emotionally aware experiences. One emerging application of facial expression classification is in music recommendation systems, where user emotions are integrated to suggest music that aligns with their current mood. While prior research has primarily classified facial expressions into four emotion categories, this study broadens the scope to seven emotions: angry, disgust, fear, happy, neutral, sad, and surprise. The project evaluates four machine learning techniques—CNN, …

Teaching Children Programming Concepts Through Video Games, Kayla Musleh

Master's Projects

Children have a tendency to lose focus when they are presented with something that does not entertain them or tailor to their personal interests; such as studying [1], [3], [10]. The research performed for this project focuses on studying how much more children can comprehend and focus on learning educational material if they are learning through playing a video game rather than being taught information directly in a typical classroom manner. For this study I created a computer game designed to introduce educational subjects such as mathematics and programming concepts to the child playing the game. By completing the tasks …

Is Mitigation Translocation An Effective Method For Reducing Laysan Albatross–Military Aircraft Collisions?, Brian E. Washburn, Katherine D. Rubiano, William P. Bukoski

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife–aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious risk to civil and military aircraft. Each year, Laysan albatrosses (Phoebastria immutabilis) attempt to establish a breeding colony on the airfield at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) located on the island of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA, resulting in a hazard to safe military aircraft operations at this facility. A long-term management program, with an emphasis on mitigation translocation (e.g., live-capture and translocation away from the area) of problematic individuals, has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services. However, the efficacy of mitigation translocation as a nonlethal …

Efficacy Of A Laser As A Starling Deterrent And Its Effect On Lactating Dairy Cow Behavior, Callan A. Lichtenwalter, Marcos Marcondes, Kyle R. Taylor, Craig Mcconnel, Amber Adams Progar

Human–Wildlife Interactions

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) cause damage (including structural damage) on dairies, eat cattle feed, and can potentially spread disease through their fecal matter. Deterring starlings from dairies without affecting cow (Bos taurus) welfare is vital, and lasers have been effective starling deterrence tools in urban roosts and in some crops. To evaluate if the use of lasers on dairies would affect starling use of freestall barns as night roosts, or lactating cow behavior, 1 laser was installed in each of the 2 freestall barns at the Knott Dairy Center at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA. …

Snake Translocation Policies And Practices Within The United States, Robin E. Bedard, Megan Rottenborn, Emily Taylor

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–wildlife conflict with nuisance snakes (Serpentes) is rapidly increasing with human population growth and development rates. Translocation of nuisance snakes has become a widespread practice, aided by social media pages connecting people to volunteer and for-profit snake translocators. However, translocators often struggle to find information and resources from wildlife agencies about the policies required, and some may unintentionally use translocation procedures that disregard the health and survival of the snakes. The goals of this study were to (1) obtain data on policies, permitting, and training required for translocating nuisance snakes in each U.S. state that has snakes and (2) compare …

“Continuity Without Cultivation”?: The Student Figure, Legal Education, And Writing Pedagogy In India, Diya Deviah, Ammel Sharon

Socio-Legal Review

This paper reconstructs the historical figure of the student in India through the intertwined trajectories of writing pedagogy and legal education. Moving beyond the socio-political portrayal of students as agents of resistance or nation-building, it examines how the classroom can function as a dynamic site for meaning-making. Drawing on archival materials, including syllabi, composition manuals, and legal reform reports, the paper traces the role of English language education in shaping legal pedagogy from the colonial period to the establishment of contemporary National Law Universities. Situating these developments within broader debates in writing and composition studies, the paper proposes alternative pedagogical …

Cultivating Legalism From Paper Proofs: Analysing Everyday Forms Of Claim Making By Van Gujjar Pastoralists In Uttarakhand, Mohammad Meer Hamja, Pranav Menon

Socio-Legal Review

Scholarship from South Asia has often highlighted how subaltern peoples partake in social movements as figures of resistance but rarely analyse their techniques of working the law in their favour to negotiate citizenship with the state. Such modes of articulating claims through affective gestures and vernacular legalese foster plural meanings to otherwise rigid legal categories and dogmatic bureaucratic interpretation. This paper draws upon socio-historical and ethnographic accounts of Van Gujjars to highlight how these pastoralists utilise myriad forms of paper proofs and documentary evidence to engage in claim making across the forests of Uttarakhand. Through an articulation of everyday tactics …

Editorial, Manhar Bansal

Socio-Legal Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Socio-Legal Review

Socio-Legal Review

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of The Influence Of The Teacher Librarian On Middle And High School Student Book Selection, Hilary Peyton, Lindsay Salinas, Josie Smock, Meg Tisinger

Graduate Research Papers

This study examines the influence of the teacher librarian on middle and high school student book selection through library programming that includes teacher librarian book promotion strategies, specifically book talks, book displays, and genrefication in a school library. This qualitative case study of 60 Iowa middle and high school students aims to answer two questions: 1) What strategies do middle and high school students use for selecting books for pleasure reading? 2) How do teacher librarian book promotion strategies influence student selection of books for pleasure reading? Using participant surveys and interviews the study revealed 3 major themes: 1) Most …

Teacher Librarian Book Promotion: Bringing Motivation To The Forefront: A Research Proposal, Christy Bartels, Bree Dickens, Chris Frimml, Jennifer George, Kristel Groenewold

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Protein-Centric Omics Analysis Reveals Circulating Complements Linked To Non-Viral Liver Diseases As Potential Therapeutic Targets, Yingzhou Shi, Hang Dong, Shiwei Sun, Xiaoqin Wu, Jiansong Fang, Jianbo Zhao, Junming Han, Zongyue Li, Huixiao Wu, Luna Liu, Wanhong Wu, Yang Tian, Guandou Yuan, Xiude Fan, Chao Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the causal correlation between complement components and non-viral liver diseases and their potential use as druggable targets.

METHODS: We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the causal role of circulating complements in the risk of non-viral liver diseases. A complement-centric protein interaction network was constructed to explore biological functions and identify potential therapeutic options.

RESULTS: In the MR analysis, genetically predicted levels of complement C1q C chain (C1QC) were positively associated with the risk of autoimmune hepatitis (odds ratio 1.125, 95% confidence interval 1.018-1.244), while complement factor H-related protein 5 (CFHR5) was positively associated with the risk …

Feasible Diet And Circadian Interventions Reduce In Vivo Progression Of Flt3-Itd-Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Megan Rodriguez, Baharan Fekry, Brianna Murphy, Mary Figueroa, Tiewei Cheng, Margaret Raber, Lisa Wartenberg, Donna Bell, Lisa Triche, Karla Crawford, Huaxian Ma, Kendra Allton, Ruwaida Ahmed, Jaime Tran, Christine Ranieri, Marina Konopleva, Michelle Barton, Cesar Nunez, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, Joya Chandra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an internal tandem duplication in the fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor 3 gene (FLT3-ITD) is associated with poor survival, and few studies have examined the impact of modifiable behaviors, such as nutrient quality and timing, in this subset of acute leukemia.

METHODS: The influence of diet composition (low-sucrose and/or low-fat diets) and timing of diet were tested in tandem with anthracycline treatment in orthotopic xenograft mouse models. A pilot clinical study to test receptivity of pediatric leukemia patients to macronutrient matched foods was conducted. A role for the circadian protein, BMAL1 (brain and muscle ARNT-like …

Developing Medical Genetics In A Low-Income Country: Unveiling The Journey Of The Pakistani Society Of Medical Genetics And Genomics (Psmg), Aisha Furqan, Syed A Ahmed, Rizwan Naeem, Myla Ashfaq

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.