Digital Commons Network^™

Water Tent: Implementation Guide Grades 3-8, Beth Young, Alicia Carlson, Haley Wicklein

Earth Around Us

No abstract provided.

Queer Life In Nineteenth-Century America: A Historical Literature Review, Vivian Wright

SURF Posters 2025

In recent political discourses, queerness has often been treated as a modern phenomenon, and many people tend to think of queerness as a twentieth-century invention. Historians, however, have shown this to be false; an extensive amount of historical work details the lives of those who did not conform to sexual or gender norms in nineteenth-century America. This review surveys such works, analyzing nearly twenty different works spanning the course of nearly fifty years. By examining these works chronologically, the development of the field of queer history can be understood in the context of social and political developments occurring in the …

Electronic Resources Updates - 2024 Q4, Brigitte Galauner, Gregg Harris

Electronic Resources Quarterly Updates

No abstract provided.

Contact Pathway Factors As Potential Modifiers Of Bleeding Related To Factor Xi Deficiency, Ivy R. Han, Leah Rosenfeldt, Courtney Young, Bal Krishan Phd, Rachel Cantrell Phd, Cassie Sprague, Mousa Kharnaf, William Abplanalp, Joseph Palumbo Md

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Factor XI (FXI) deficiency, also known as Hemophilia C, is characterized by mild to moderate bleeding symptoms. However, the factors that modify bleeding severity in FXI deficiency are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated whether components of the contact activation pathway can act as modifiers of bleeding in the context of FXI deficiency. Using a tail vein transection (TVT) model in rats, we assessed bleeding in four experimental groups: wild-type Sprague-Dawley rats, Prekallikrein knockout (PKK^-/-) rats, rats treated with a FXI-inhibiting antibody, and PKK-/- rats treated with the FXI antibody.

Under anesthesia, each rat underwent a …

Morphology And Synaptic Connections Of A T7 Bipolar Cell In Mouse Retina, Lauren Groen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will aim to identify ribbon outputs and post-synaptic partners of type 7 bipolar cells in a mouse retina. Using the software WebKnossos, a three-dimensional skeleton of three to four type 7 bipolar cells will be traced. Ribbon synapses will then be located along the cells' axon terminals, and the types of cells that are receiving the synaptic output will be identified. The goal of this project is to provide a better understanding of how type 7 bipolar cells interact with other neurons in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the retina.

Analysis Of Sled Dog Biomechanics, Natalie Bender

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper is an analysis of data collected by Dr Rachel Olson and her team. The data was collected from the same set of sled dogs before and after training for the Iditarod race. The goal of this paper is to draw conclusions on whether the gait of sled dogs’ change with fitness level. The data was cleaned in R to find the average peak for forelimb joint angles per run for each dog. The data was analyzed with 3 different ANOVAs – one including both the shoulder and carpus, one for just the shoulder, and one for just the …

Effects Of Diet Composition On Physical Parameters In Danio Rerio, Isabella Hemphill

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the use of zebrafish as a common model organism for human health, the reduction of confounding variables in their care is key. Many commercialized zebrafish diets are available for purchase, but each one consists of a different ratio of these crucial macronutrients. This study aimed to determine the effects long-term diets high in one macronutrient would have on the morphometrics, heart, liver, and protein content of zebrafish. Four diets were fed over a period of almost two years- high lipid, high carb, high protein, and a control diet. The control diet was the standard feed used in this lab, …

Exploring Psychological Implications Of The Contemporary Lung Transplant, Isaac C. Machar

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Since its inception in 1963 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, more than 50,000 lung transplant procedures have been performed. During its 50-year anniversary, 2023 saw just over 3,000 lung transplants performed in the United Sates. However, as this procedure continues to increase in execution each year, it is critical that the psychological implications of this procedure are explored. In this paper, I hope to develop an understanding of the psychological background of contemporary lung transplantation. Reviewing the lung and double lung transplant, the goal is to apply biopsychology principles to the field. Background information about transplant science is …

Improvement Of Cellular Pattern Organization And Clarity Through Centrifugal Force, Lauren E. Mehanna, James D. Boyd, Shelley Remus-Williams, Nicole M. Racca, Dawson P. Spraggins, Martha E. Grady, Brad J. Berron

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Rapid and strategic cell placement is necessary for high throughput tissue fabrication. Current adhesive cell patterning systems rely on fluidic shear flow to remove cells outside of the patterned regions, but limitations in washing complexity and uniformity prevent adhesive patterns from being widely applied. Centrifugation is commonly used to study the adhesive strength of cells to various substrates; however, the approach has not been applied to selective cell adhesion systems to create highly organized cell patterns. This study shows centrifugation as a promising method to wash cellular patterns after selective binding of cells to the surface has taken place. After …

Integrating Protein Language Model And Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Discover Antibiofouling Peptides, Ibrahim A. Imam, Shea Bailey, Duolin Wang, Shuai Zeng, Dong Xu, Qing Shao

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Antibiofouling peptide materials prevent the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on devices, enabling them to perform their designed functions as desired in complex biological environments. Due to their importance, research on antibiofouling peptide materials has been one of the central subjects of interfacial engineering. However, only a few antibiofouling peptide sequences have been developed. This narrow scope of antibiofouling peptide materials limits their capacity to adapt to the broad spectrum of application scenarios. To address this issue, we searched for antibiofouling peptides in the vast sequence pool of the microbiome library using a combination of deep learning-based high-throughput search and molecular …

Research News, Publications, 2025, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of July 1 - September 30, 2025.

Research News, Publications, 2025, Volume 4, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of October 1 - December 31, 2025.

Research News, Grants, 2025, Volume 2, Soumyajit Majumdar

Grants (2015-)

Grants and contracts awarded during April - June 2025.

Advancing The Characterization Of Geophysical Signals Through Array Processing And Artificial Intelligence, Miro Ronac Giannone

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In geophysics, seismic and infrasound observations are routinely employed to constrain the nature and origin of events. Seismoacoustics, as a discipline, is built upon the simultaneous detection and integrated analysis of these data types. This joint approach is critical not only for advancing scientific understanding but also for supporting global monitoring efforts in hazard mitigation and nuclear explosion treaty verification. The data analyzed in this dissertation were recorded by array deployments, which consist of multiple sensors arranged in predetermined configurations to enhance signal detection, resolve directionality, and quantify waveform coherence. Leveraging these array recordings, I introduce novel approaches which combine …

How Do Religious Beliefs, Practices, And Experiences Impact Mental Health?, Samantha Coyne, Margo Gregor

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following literature review discusses the influence religious practices, beliefs, and experiences impact mental health. The discussion will revolve around three main religions: Catholocism, Judaism, and other denominations of Christianity. Negative and positive influences of religion on mental health were found and discussed.

Exploring The Effects Of Road Salt On Earthworm Species, Alea Mry Koston

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study examines the effects of two road salts, sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), on the health of two earthworm species: Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus terrestris. Over a 4-week period, approximately 168 earthworms were exposed to varying concentrations of either NaCl, CMA, or mixed ratios of both, with a control group included for comparison. The experiment involved monitoring the changes in earthworm weight and measuring their contraction rates to determine physiological responses. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in weight or activity between NaCl and CMA treatments for either species. However, higher concentrations of NaCl resulted in …

Daf-12’S Effects On Lifespan In C. Elegans, Randhir S. Multani

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

We tested the hypothesis that daf-12 has the ability to upregulate mir-84 and mir-241 in C. elegans. Rifampicin helps C. elegans live longer by reducing glycation and activating daf-16. It is not clear if daf-12 is needed for this to happen. Daf-16 turns on genes that promote a longer lifespan. Daf-12 increases mir-84 and mir-241 and helps daf-16 become active so it can turn on genes that relate to lifespan. C. elegans were divided into four groups: wild-type, wild-type with RIF, daf-12 RNAi, and daf-12 RNAi with RIF. Worms were incubated at 20°C. An LDH assay and protein assay …

The Signal Of Airplane Combustion In Soil At A Small Airport In Ohio, Rachel Engels

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Leaded gas has been banned for automobile use in the interest of public health since 1996. However, leaded gas is still used for small piston aircraft so the engine can run safely. To investigate potential environmental impacts of leaded gas, 90 soil samples were taken from around a small airport in Ohio. Soil elemental composition was measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), soil organic content determined by Loss-on-Ignition (LOI), and soil ferrimagnetic content measured by magnetic susceptibility. There is an unmistakable airplane fuel combustion signal in the soil at the ends of the runway, where aircraft wait to take off on …

Expression And Purification Of Cytochrome P450 46a1 For Resonance Raman Spectroscopy, Lauren Jirles

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Researchers are targeting cytochrome P450 46A1 (CYP46A1), an enzyme critical for brain cholesterol homeostasis, as a potential therapeutic approach for neurological diseases. CYP46A1 plays a key role in cholesterol turnover in the brain by catalyzing the conversion of cholesterol to 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24HC) and is linked to Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology. Given its critical role in brain health, CYP46A1 represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention in neurological disorders. The goal of this project was to express the CYP46A1 protein in GC5 E. coli cells and purify the protein using chromatographic techniques including affinity and ion exchange chromatography. Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy was …

Effects Of Energy Drinks On Crayfish Physiology, Melyna Sweeney

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Energy drinks have become the drink of choice among many college students due to the rush of energy it provides via the megadose of caffeine (Vercammen et al. 2019). Because of their newfound popularity, there is much research to be done about the effects on human physiology. Energy drinks are known to increase endurance in muscles of rat subjects (Imagawa et al. 2009) and stimulate enhanced “alertness” (Smit & Rogers, 2002). The purpose of this research was to uncover the potential effects that energy drinks have on metabolic rate and/or stress responses in crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), with the …

Elongate Locomotors Show Consistent Torque Patterns Across Substrates, Spencer Bradford, Henry Astley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The four main movements found in snakes are understood mainly due to external study; however, muscular forces and resulting torques are poorly known. The main research objective is to study the torque production on different substrates using a snakebot. The study will give a rudimentary model for torque production on different substrates. It can then be compared against biological systems to understand snake movement at a muscular level. This study used a snakebot, allowing direct assessment of the current being run through each of its motors (proportional to torque). Data was then examined using a Principal Component Analysis test for …

Astrocyte Specific Enhancers In The Cortex And Striatum Of Mice, Mikaela Kottelich

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Among glial cells, astrocytes have a prevalent influence on supporting neuronal function and overall brain health. Specifically targeting this cell type for disease treatment is an existing issue. Other cell types tend to express the desired treatment, which is not always wanted and can lead to unintended, negative consequences. Astrocytes contribute largely to maintaining the blood brain barrier, which is disrupted in Parkinson’s disease. Certain genes are thought to be the reason for this disruption, so if they can be specifically targeted in astrocytes with a specific enhancer, the disruption of the disease could be reversed. In our experiment, we …

The Impact Of Seasonal Variation On Body Morphology In Temnothorax Curvispinosus, Chelsea Kalb

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study examines how seasonal variations affect the morphology of Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants) by comparing workers hatched in the spring and in the fall. Colonies will be collected from the Bath Nature Preserve in May and September to represent the different seasonal groups. Morphological traits, such as the head, mesosoma, gaster, antennae, and leg, will be measured using a microscope and an image analysis software. The morphological measurements from each group will then be compared using ANOVA. By exploring how environmental variation influences developmental outcomes in acorn ants, this research contributes to our understanding of phenotypic plasticity and insect …

Impact Of Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) On Daphnia Magna Heart Rate, Ashley Cosgrave

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Marijuana (Cannabis) is currently federally illegal within the United States and classified as a Schedule I drug. This leaves a large research gap on the impacts of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use. Daphnia magna are frequently used as a model organism for the human heart and toxicology screenings due to their myogenic heart, similarities in physiological pathways, and sensitivity to toxins. As such, in order to bridge the research gap and uncover potential use of Daphnia magna as a model organism for humans in regard to impact on heart rate, we hypothesized that if Daphnia magna possess CB1 receptors or an equivalent …

Evaluation Of Pain Neuroscience Education Among Veterans With Chronic Pain, Ghee-Hee Yang, Lilly Prochoda

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Chronic pain and opioid overuse remain critical public health issues in the United States, disproportionately affecting military veterans. Traditional pharmacologic treatments often fall short of addressing the complex biopsychosocial dimensions of chronic pain. Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) is a promising, evidence-based approach that empowers patients by helping them reframe their understanding of pain, thus potentially reducing pain severity and reliance on medications.

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PNE in reducing perceived pain severity, enhancing self-efficacy, and reframing pain narratives among veterans experiencing chronic pain.

Methods: The intervention consisted of three …

Pain Versus Neuropsychiatric Symptoms In Residents With Dementia: A Nursing Staff Educational Training, Rebecca Hildreth

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

BACKGROUND: Pain assessment in patients with dementia is challenging due to cognitive and communication impairments, making the older adult population highly susceptible to poor pain assessment and treatment.

AIM: The purpose of this project is to accurately identify the cause of agitation in residents with dementia. Specific aims include 1) to collect background demographic data on residents, 2) to educate nursing staff on pain assessment in dementia patients, and 3) to educate nursing staff about the risks associated with antipsychotic medications to prioritize using non-pharmacologic interventions to treat agitation.

METHODS: A chart review of residents residing in a suburban, Pacific …

Infectious Disease Response Preparedness: Survey Of Small To Medium Residential Universities, Tara Hicks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Objective: To improve the understanding of strategies implemented by institutions of higher education (IHE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how those experiences and resulting knowledge influenced staff confidence and preparedness for future infectious disease events.

Participants: Small to medium undergraduate residential IHE in CA, OR, and WA.

Methods: A Qualtrics survey collected data 1/26/25 – 2/24/25.

Results: Over 50% of respondents identified 7 of 9 preparedness needs as a major to critical need of their IHE. Statistically significant associations were found between IHE conducting a review of actions during COVID-19 and both self-confidence (ρ 0.46, p=0.018) and confidence in …

Assessment Of Bifidobacterium Longum Itt 13 As A Probiotic Candidate, Eleana Keatley

Masters

Probiotics are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Beneficial microbes are found in several sites throughout the body such as the oral cavity, skin, respiratory tract, vagina, urinary tract, breast tissue and the gut. In this research, the culture Bifidobacterium longum ITT 13, which was previously isolated from a neonatal faecal sample, was examined for its potential as a probiotic candidate. Probiotics can have numerous desirable characteristics. The pertinent ones to this research are being of human or animal origin, not prone to antibiotic resistance, demonstration of antagonistic activity towards pathogens, …

Statistical Approaches In Evolutionary Biology: Using Threespine Stickleback Fish To Test Fisher's Geometric Model And Evaluate Methods For Handling Missing Data, Aaron Mathew Myrold

Dissertations

This thesis explores two distinct yet complementary aspects of evolutionary biology. The first chapter tests predictions from Fisher's geometric model of adaptation using a finely resolved fossil sequence of Gasterosteus doryssus spanning approximately 21,250 years. I analyze phenotypic changes in three armor traits during adaptation to a new environment and find that while step sizes follow the predicted exponential distribution—with many small steps and few large ones—they do not adhere to the model's temporal prediction that large-effect mutations should fix early in the adaptive walk. This discrepancy likely reflects adaptation from standing genetic variation rather than de novo mutation. The …

Genetic Architecture Of Complex Traits In African Ancestries Across Diverse Environments, Isadore Gregga

Dissertations

Given genetic and environmental diversity, genetic prediction based on African- ancestries individuals in the US or UK may not transfer well to other African diaspora regions. The Modeling the Epidemiological Transition Study (METS) is a longitudinal study of cardiometabolic health in five African-ancestry populations. We performed genome-wide genotyping in METS participants from the US, Jamaica, South Africa, and Ghana. We aimed to explore how genetic models for the transcriptome and body mass index (BMI) built using US- based African-ancestries populations perform in these four diverse populations. A subset of METS participants also had whole blood RNA-Seq data. For these, we …