Digital Commons Network^™

Roots Of Passion In Environmental Unl Students, Shane Vrbicky

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

“Passion” is an elusive idea - a simple word invented by man - able to depict vastly different realities and meanings dependent entirely on the user. Highly influential in nature, the simple thought of a passion within human beings can evoke a wide spectrum of strong emotions from pure joy and satisfaction to utter desperation and dread. Sometimes people have never known a life without their passion, guided by a headstrong feeling towards a path they have always dreamed of. Sometimes people can never seem to find passion, not knowing where to look and yet constantly chasing after it. Sometimes …

Chitosan-Based Composite For Wound Healing & Biomedical Applications, Abdul-Razak Masoud

Doctoral Dissertations

Polymer composites have witnessed increased research interest in the last decades, and the applications of these materials include drug delivery, tissue engineering, and wound bandages and dressings. Numerous polymers have been studied to fabricate the ideal wound dressing. Making these polymer composites biocompatible, porous, and bioactive with high absorption capabilities is critical to guide cell growth and differentiation and limit their detrimental effects on incorporated therapeutic molecules. This research work aims to address shortcomings of available wound dressings by fabricating a biocompatible, porous, bioactive, and antimicrobial dressing using chitosan (CTS) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) polymers incorporated with zinc-doped halloysites (ZnHNT). …

Clay Nanotube Drug Carrier With Enhanced Membrane/Skin Permeability, Mahdi Saleh

Doctoral Dissertations

Halloysite nanoclay is a natural material which is interesting for biomedical applications. Its unique physiochemical structure that forms the tubular shape originates from rolled sheets of aluminosilicate 15-20 times, such that alumina is inside and silica on the outside of the nanotubes, thus defining inner positive and outer negative charges. The dimensions of these tubules vary from 500-1,000 nm in length, external diameter 50-60nm, and inner lumen 12-15nm. Halloysites are biocompatible, cheap, and available in large quantities which suggests that these tubules can be used as effective nanocarriers. In this work, we exploited halloysite as a “nano-torpedo” for targeted drug …

A Zooarchaeological Metadata Analysis Of Animal Domestication In The Neolithic Northern Levant, Ashlyn R. Cartier

University Scholar Projects

This project compiles and examines 17 published faunal assemblages spanning the Epipaleolithic to the Pottery Neolithic in the Northern Levant to uncover early trends in animal management practices. Through a close examination of indices tracking the proportions of low and high-ranked prey, wild versus domestic game, and taxonomic diversity, it is possible to examine the trends in and deduce the approximate timing of the shift toward early animal management practices. To examine the conditions from which this phenomenon emerged, analyses of hunting intensity and taxonomic tradeoffs were implemented. Hunting intensity provides an analysis of low and high-ranked prey to examine …

Spectacle In The Roman Imperial Funeral Procession, William Smith

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

From the legendary foresight of Augustus, to the scandalous escapades of Nero and Commodus to even the philosopher emperor, Marcus Aurelius, much has been written. This thesis does not concern itself with the deeds of emperors, but rather their funerals. Imperial funerals in some ways were quite similar to their Republican era antecedents. They differed in spectacular ways. This thesis investigates the spectacle evident in imperial funerals and argues that their inclusion is not to honor the deceased but rather cement their place in the cultural memory of Rome by means of this performance. In addition, it examines the role …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report, Alana Grace Reeder

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. the documents are concurrently used for the Ag Incentive Grant review process at Livingston High School conducted by staff of the California Department of Education. The supporting documents include information to receive state and local funding and they outline the goals and objectives of the program. This document also provides an overview of operations of the Livingston High School Agriculture Department.

The New Heavens And New Earth: The Interpretive Development Of Isaiah 65:17, Baron Vander Maas

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Multilingual Schoolscapes Of Elementary Schools In East Tennessee, Olivia Campbell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates how three elementary schools in East Tennessee align their schoolscapes with their multilingual populations. The study involved taking pictures of signage in these elementary schools and analyzing them for multilingualism. The findings indicate that there is limited presence of multilingual signage in the schools despite the presence of diverse students. While the schools are making efforts to be inclusive with their signage, there is clearly more room for improvement.

Visual Development Of The Night Sky Circus, Rebeca Ortiz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This creative thesis explores the process of visual development and how one can apply it to their own body of work. Visual Development encompasses the entire concept design process, from the idea to the final design. Vis Dev artists document their journey to depict how an idea becomes a fully refined and polished concept. They illustrate a wide variety of elements, such as characters, costuming, props, and environments. The development of all of these factors then allows the artist to cultivate an imaginative and creative world that could be used for multiple forms of entertainment, such as animated films, video …

Postsecondary Participation And College Choice For Students With Disabilities: Does High School Matter?, Dana J. Kermanian

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Students with disabilities (SWDs) face unique challenges when it comes to the transition from high school to college. There is a lack of research regarding the effectiveness of college preparation for SWDs during their high school years. This quantitative dissertation explored the role of high school-built academic and social capital and other high school specific factors in increasing the likelihood of postsecondary participation and choice of a 4-year college. Bourdieu’s (1986) sociological theory of forms of capital provided the theoretical framework for the study. The study employed the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09; National Center for Education Statistics, …

Investigation Of The Evolution And Structural Basis Of Caspases: Insights Into Conformational Dynamics, Stability And Allostery, Isha Joglekar

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Caspases, a class of cysteinyl proteases, are well known for their roles in apoptosis or programmed cell death. However, at lower levels of activation in the body, they also play other non-apoptotic roles in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, neuronal development, cell migration and motility, and embryonic development, all of which are poorly understood. Caspases provide an excellent model to study protein evolution since, they evolved from a common ancestral state into two subfamilies having different oligomeric properties: initiators, which exist as monomers, and effectors, which exist as dimers, under physiological conditions in a cell. However, the evolutionary basis for the …

Smells Like Team Spirit: How To Foster Psychological Safety And Enhance Team Creativity, Shannon S. Burrows

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Creativity is one of the most sought-after skills of the 21^st century, yet team members may be reticent to contribute to creative problem-solving out of fear of ridicule, retribution, or because of rigid hierarchical team structures. However, psychological safety is the underpinning of creativity; without it a culture of silence prevails, mistakes go unreported, and team creativity languishes. But how do leaders cultivate psychological safety in their teams? This project seeks to answer that question. Although the term “psychological safety” has become common in the corporate lexicon, misconceptions abound. Through the creation of a short, animated video, this project …

The Utility Of Deep Divergence In Applied Creativity, Kevin Molesworth

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

If applied creativity seeks the generation of novel and useful ideas for a real-world goal, wish, or challenge, then my concept of theoretical creativity can best be described as the generation of ideas that are novel and not yet useful. I assert that the employment of deep divergence is the best tool for producing ideas within a theoretical creativity framework. Deep divergence is defined as divergent thinking to its most extreme levels, far beyond what is probable, beyond what is possible, and into an unplumbed realm of what is currently impossible and unknowable. However, for this project, my aim was …

Perspectives Of Dairy Employees At The Beginning Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey Of Health Risks And Educational Needs, Fernanda Ferreira, Maristela Rovai, Mireille Chahine, Mario E. De Haro-Martí, John Wenz, Joseph Dalton, Noelia Silva-Del-Rio

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

Our objective was to understand dairy employees' perceptions and educational needs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A bilingual (English and Spanish), anonymous survey targeted at dairy employees was circulated nationwide via university and allied industry media outlets. Responses (n = 63) from 11 states were received (May–Sep. 2020). Respondents worked in herds ranging from 50 to 40,000 animals in size. Dairy managers (33%) responded mostly to the English survey (52%), whereas entry-level workers (67%) chose the Spanish format (76%). Survey results highlighted different perspectives, educational needs, and preferred sources of information between English- and Spanish-speaking dairy workers. Overall, …

An In Vivo Biocompatibility Analysis Of A Novel Tissue Regeneration Matrix Using A Pig Model, Shamar Thomas

All Theses

The goal of this project is to develop an injectable bead scaffold to promote tissue regeneration in the void created by lumpectomy and to alleviate post lumpectomy problems by preventing local recurrence and minimizing surgical-related infections. Microbeads were synthesized from collagen type I and crosslinked with tannic acid to form the basis for this injectable therapeutic. Tannic acid acts as a therapeutic anticancer agent. The action mechanisms of tannins in breast cancer cells have been studied with studies showing tannins to be cytotoxic to cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Tannic acid induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells via caspase …

Sherry Colb’S Insight

Connecticut Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dystopian Trademark Revelations

Connecticut Law Review

Uncovering dystopian technologies is challenging. Nondisclosure agreements, procurement policies, trade secrets, and strategic obfuscation collude to shield the development and deployment of these technologies from public scrutiny until it is too late to combat them with law or policy. But occasionally, exposing dystopian technologies is simple. Corporations choose technology trademarks inspired by dystopian philosophies and novels or similar elements of real life—all warnings that their potential uses are dystopian as well. That pronouncement is not necessarily trumpeted on social media or corporate websites, however. It is revealed in a more surprising place: trademark registrations at the U.S. Patent and Trademark …

The Utah Statesman, May 1, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Application Of Informatics Tools To Facilitate The Practice Of Precision Medicine With Genomic Testing And Clinical Data, Michael Sayer

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

The practice of precision medicine considers a variety of sources of information to optimize patient care. Factors such as patient demographics, clinical history, and lab test values have well understood effects on treatment outcomes and influence decision making. However, effective inclusion of biomolecular data such as protein expression and DNA sequencing data within the practice of precision medicine needs continued study. Informatics tools offer solutions to allow these complex data sources to be effectively embraced. Utilization of informatics tools to visualize data pertaining to the gene selection practices of pharmacogenomic (PGx) tests effectively communicated large amounts of information into concise …

Convergence: Eos News And Updates, May 2023, Unh Institute For The Study Of Earth, Oceans And Space

Convergence: EOS News and Updates

No abstract provided.

Treaties As A Tool For Native American Land Reparations, Hannah Friedle

Northwestern Journal of Human Rights

"The only compensation for land is land."¹

Hundreds of treaties signed. Hundreds of treaties broken. The juvenile United States grew in size as independent Native nations ceded their territory through treaties. Thirsting for more land, the United States broke its promises and continued its manifest destiny westward. And what of tribes’ treaty rights to land? Some Native nations received financial compensation for treaty violations. But money is crumbs to many whose traditional homelands are still colonized.

Tribes are entitled to the land promised to them under treaties—instruments supposedly carrying the force of federal law. Land reparations are a partial …

Libby In Limbo, Moriah Claire Hall

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Libby in Limbo is a scripted narrative podcast that follows Libby as she moves back to her small hometown, gets a job as a librarian, and learns to navigate life in a small, tight-knit community. This podcast serves two main purposes: to create entertainment media about a library that does not promote harmful stereotypes about libraries and to create awareness and accessibility of scripted podcasts.

Examining Fear Of Negative Evaluation In Oral Contraceptive Users And Naturally Cycling Women, Emily Furlow

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Oral contraceptive use has gained popularity over recent decades and is currently the most used form of contraception. However, women who take oral contraceptives may experience significant side effects that impact their bodies, moods, and emotions. The current study examined fear of negative evaluation in women taking oral contraceptives and women who were naturally cycling following a social stress test. I hypothesized oral contraceptive users would have a higher fear of negative evaluation in comparison to naturally cycling women following the Trier Social Stress Test. Results did not support this hypothesis. There was marginal support for the opposite effect. Following …

Optimum Time To Add The Feed Additive Availa-Zmc To Reduce The Incidence Of Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis Lameness In Broiler Chickens, Ashley Ault

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lameness is a health condition threatening the welfare of broiler chickens in the poultry industry. It can be caused by a bacterial infection called Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis (BCO). Zinpro has created Avalia-ZMC, a feed additive that has been proven to reduce lameness by 20% in wire-flooring pens and 25% in litter-flooring pens (Alrubaye et al., 2020). This experiment focuses on the optimal time to add Availa-ZMC to the diet of the broiler chickens to help reduce the incidence of lameness. This trial took 56 days with 26 pens at the University of Arkansas Poultry Research Farm. At the start …

Measuring Energy Demands Of Dynamic Remodeling Events During Embryogenesis In Live Drosophila Embryos, Grayson Young

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Embryonic development is a complex process requiring dynamic cell movements to create complex tissue structures. We assume that these embryonic dynamic remodeling events are highly energy intensive and that this energy expenditure is mediated by mitochondria. However, this has been difficult to demonstrate in live embryos. Convergent extension of the Drosophila neuroectoderm is a promising system to study the bioenergetics of tissue remodeling because it changes from a static to a dynamically remodeling tissue with temporal precision. We hypothesize that the switch from static to dynamic development at the onset of convergent extension will be accompanied by an increase in …

Prevalence Of Ehrlichia And Rickettsia Within Ticks In Arkansas State Parks, Haley Stanton

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the past few decades, the number of diagnoses of tick-borne diseases – such as spotted fever rickettsiosis and ehrlichiosis – has steadily increased throughout the United States, with Arkansas having one of the highest rates in the country. These diseases pose a risk to both humans and animals, as both can acquire these infections from ticks. Due to the increasing geographic range of ticks, rise in cases, and likely underdiagnosis of these diseases, this study aimed to identify the infection rate of ticks themselves in multiple state parks in Arkansas. Four Arkansas state parks were each visited once a …

Parthenogenesis Investigation Of The F1 Generation From A Cross Between Daphnia Pulex Tex 23 (Males) And Tex 85 (Females), Efe Amrovhe

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Daphnia pulex is a species of Daphnia that is capable of both cyclic and obligate parthenogenesis. In this experiment, two cyclically parthenogenetic (CP) isolates are crossed to access the frequency of obligately parthenogenetic (OP) offspring that will be produced. If OP animals are produced at a significant frequency from a CP-CP cross, the ‘why’ behind it must be examined. Prior research revealed that OP animals produced from CP isolates are genetically linked through introgression from a sister species, Daphnia pulicaria. This may be relevant to the results and serve as a focal point when researching the implications of them. The …

Efficacy Of Different Laboratory Methods To Infect Leptoglossus Phyllopus With Symbiotic Caballeronia Bacteria, Lillian Storm

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The insect Leptoglossus phyllopus and some other members of the true bug family must acquire their bacterial symbiont every generation from the environment during their second instar. This poses a problem for researchers wanting to study the bugs in vitro. We set out to assess five different methods of introducing bacteria into the insect's environment. We tested the introduction via inoculated water, broth, plant sprig, potting soil, and uninoculated agricultural soil. No significant difference was seen in average adult weight or the development time between treatments. The method of infection did affect the number of insects that reached adulthood which …

Life History Fitness Of F1 Hybrids Of Tex & Pa21 Populations Of Daphnia Pulex, Ohitha Reddy Sana

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Evolutionary theory suggests that fitness decreases with hybridization as a result of negative epistatic interactions between alleles that rose independently in genetic backgrounds making hybrids incompatible with parents’ species. However, heterosis can occur as a result of the deleterious effects of negative epistatic interactions making hybrids fitter than their parents. To examine this, the fitness of first-generation (F1) hybrids of Tex and PA populations of Daphnia pulex was determined using body size as a life history trait. F1 hybrids obtained from crossing between seven Tex parental isolates and PA parental isolates were taken from stock and grown under standard conditions …

3d Microstructural Characterization Of Heart Valve Leaflets, Ifejola Adebo

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Heart valve disease is common in the world today and understanding the anatomical linkages, collagen, and elastin microstructures between the various heart valves is important for developing effective treatments. Four heart valves were gotten from the heart of a pig as they closely mimic the human heart. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the properties of the surrounding fibrous microenvironment of the tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary, and aortic valves after tissue clearing and imaging with a light-sheet microscope. The tissue clearing process entails procedures that render the samples transparent for in-depth imaging of the heart valves using …