Digital Commons Network^™

Cell Surface Modification With Lipophilic Linkers, Noor Hassun, Aviana Smith, Addison Hobson, Michael Muench, Aaron Stone, Daniel Fologea

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Cell surface modification with bioactive groups is useful for adjusting their interactions and responses to chemical and physical stimuli. One method of surface modification is overexpression of membrane receptors, but this is time-consuming and restricted to membrane proteins. When non-protein molecules are needed for functionalization, chemical addition of bioactive groups may affect cell viability due to the use of harsh chemicals. To mitigate these shortcomings, we investigated the modification of cell surfaces by employing lipid-like linkers, which not only act quickly but also minimize the use of harsh chemicals. These lipid-like linkers carry a bioactive molecule at one end, while …

Markerless Motion Capture Overestimates Knee Flexion During Walk And Run Tasks, Aidan M. Thayer, Mikala A. Hicks, Tyler N. Brown

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Low-cost markerless motion capture systems, such as OpenCap, have shown recent promise for accurate kinematic analysis of human motion during several activities, including walking, squatting, and drop landing. Although this technology has shown promise within a controlled laboratory space, its ability to accurately quantify kinematics in less controlled environments, like a recreational run, is unknown. The focus of this study was to determine if markerless motion capture, OpenCap, could accurately quantify knee kinematics during both a walk and run trial with body-borne load and over an uneven surface. Thus, 18 participants had their knee kinematics quantified during a walk (1.5 …

Lyme Disease In The Pacific Northwest, Katie Allen

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Transmitted by ticks, Lyme disease is a zoonotic infectious disease that can cause debilitating long-term illness throughout the whole body that may affect many communities. This disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, carried by a biological vector known as the Ixodes tick. In the United States, Lyme disease has been primarily found in the Northeast via the Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the “deer tick.” Along the West Coast of the United States, many people are unaware they and their pets are consistently exposed to this disease in their environment. The Ixodes pacificus has been found …

Parental Perceptions Of Risk In The Digital Environment, Hollie Abele, John Ziker, Jerry Alan Fails, Kendall House, Jessi Boyer, Michael Wendell, Kayla Ramirez, Letizia Maukar, Bhargavi Rao Bondada

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Digital Ecology of Fear project investigates how parents have adapted to the rapidly changing digital environment. This research focuses on parents of children in middle childhood (ages 6-12) and among other methods, utilized two surveys (n = 199) in order to study this. Specifically, I looked into a question on the survey that asked about the risks that parents believed to pose the most of a threat to their children and in which platforms these were most prevalent. I constructed a two-mode network to analyze the relationship between the total number of risks nominated within each platform to …

Data Driven Solutions: Understanding Turnover Trends And Tenure Among Oit Student Employees, Cayenne Denny

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Student employees in the Office of Information Technology (OIT) gain a lot of experience and are proven valuable to the division, but are not transitioned into long-term, full-time positions after graduation. Many leave their roles prior to graduation, and this study sought to explore why student employees leave their jobs with OIT and how this information may be used to reduce student turnover rates. Student employment data from 9 departments with employee departure dates between 2021-2024 was analyzed using R Studio, pivot tables, and graphs. Among the student employees who left OIT voluntarily, nearly half (33 students) left in May, …

Quantification Of Ethyl-Cellulose Coated Vitamin C Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Logan Moynagh, Mia Toronto, Owen Mcdougal

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Spectroscopy was used to compare six different concentrations of vitamin c mixed with ethyl cellulose. This was done by measuring the absorbance of a solid sample. In the spectra it was observed that there were three distinct peaks for different functional groups and overtones including oxygen-hydrogen stretch, carbon-hydrogen stretch, and oxygen-hydrogen bend. At these peaks, the spectra were ordered nicely from lowest to highest vitamin c concentration and lowest to highest absorbance. This is very promising as the current method for quantifying vitamin c in ethyl cellulose involves boiling the solution, which denatures the vitamin c, potentially …

Gains From Trade And Proportional Output Effects On Total Factor Productivity Growth In Wto Member Nations, David Barbour

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Global trade has grown enormously over the decades with world exports nearing 26 trillion USD and there are now 166 member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the world’s largest trade organization. While not without any costs, the broad uncontroversial consensus seems to be that trade has benefited the world and has done so by raising the wealth of all nations involved. The proposed mechanism of this action is in specialization and efficiency gains, measured in this paper as Total Factor Productivity (TFP). The WTO acts to lower trade barriers and encourage broad trade, but most countries go even …

Investigating The Potential Role Of Beneficial Bacteria In Big Sagebrush Restoration, Abbagayle S. Hannebaum, Elle Horwath, Leonora Bittleston

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Microbes play an essential role in plant ecology, supporting growth, pathogen protection, and drought tolerance. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), a foundational plant species, hosts a diverse microbial community, but the benefits of its leaf microbiome remain unclear. We conducted an experiment to determine if the bacterial species, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, may promote sagebrush growth and survival in a restoration setting. Seeds from Hillside to Hollow (HH) and Polecat Gulch (PC) were grown in a greenhouse, and once leaves emerged, the seedlings were randomly assigned to receive an inoculum containing B. amyloliquefaciens or a sterile water control. Before outplanting, …

Zooarchaeology Of The Western Snake River Basin: Late Archaic Hunter-Gatherer Diets, Jazzy Day

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

For my zooarchaeology research project, I analyzed the faunal remains from the Medbury site, a late Archaic site located near Hammett, Idaho. From the 6,722 faunal remains collected at this site, I gathered information regarding taxonomy and bone modifications in order to compare the dietary implications of this assemblage to other sites along the Western Snake River. The high level of fragmentation among the bones made it difficult to produce specific identifications, although deer, rabbit, salmon, and rodents made up the majority of the remains; fish were the most common fauna identified at the Medbury site, followed by rabbit then …

Microbial Battles: Exploring Inhibitory Interactions Among Sagebrush Bacteria And Fungi, Dani Babcock, Elle Horwath, Leonora Bittleston

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Leaves can harbor diverse communities of endophytic (internal) and epiphytic (external) microbes. Some of these leaf microbes can mediate community interactions by inhibiting the growth of neighboring microbes via antimicrobial compounds. This study investigated the interactions and inhibitory potential of fungal and bacterial isolates derived from sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) leaves when grown together in co-cultures. Microbes were isolated from the surface and internal sagebrush leaf tissue samples and cultured on nutrient-rich media that supports the growth of a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. Inhibition assays were conducted using co-culture techniques, measuring zones of inhibition to quantify antimicrobial …

Ground Coverage Of Sagebrush Steppe Effect On Piute Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus Mollis) Emergence, Mackenzie Hutchinson, Ava Straub, Daniella Dawson, Julian Lancaster, August Bingham, Juliana Myhre, Zach Bradley, Peyton Jungert, Zoe Bonerbo, Jen Cruz

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Fine-scale environmental features display variation between close proximity habitats. These differences can impact the behavior of species in these environments. One local example is the Piute Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus mollis). They live in sagebrush steppe environments that vary in amount of ground cover. The ground squirrel population has endured a steady decline in recent years and, to understand why they may not be recovering from this decline, we evaluated ground squirrel phenology in open and closed habitats by observing ground squirrel activity. We aim to determine if habitat type impacts emergence date and specifically, if open habitats will …

The Syringa Project, Madison Miller, Eryn Pierce

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Syringa Project addresses critical healthcare access gaps in Idaho following a 22% reduction in OBGYN providers since 2022. This research explores how technology-enabled community support can mitigate barriers to reproductive healthcare in politically complex environments.

Through surveys of Idaho residents, I identified key challenges: 74% of respondents report scheduling difficulties, 68% face insurance coverage issues, and 42% postpone care due to previous negative experiences. Based on these findings, I developed personas representing diverse healthcare needs and designed interventions using trauma-informed principles.

The project delivers solutions through multiple channels: a mobile application with a healthcare resource chatbot, guided meditation tools …

From Lasers To Ignition: How Indirect-Drive Makes Fusion Possible, Alex Anta, Caleb Shepherd, Christopher Turmes, Hope Cuthbertson, Kane Gates, Joshua Eixenberger, Lindsey Wiggins

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The indirect-drive laser fusion serves as a vital method for developing clean, sustainable energy. The laser beams direct their energy at the internal surface of the small metal cylinder known as a hohlraum. The hohlraum converts laser light into X-rays that produce symmetrical compression of the tiny fuel capsule for fusion ignition. The system requires absolute symmetry for operation because fuel compression irregularities decrease energy output and prevent ignition from happening. The method requires exact laser timing together with high-density carbon capsules and carefully designed energy pulses. Scientists use this advanced fusion technique to study practical fusion power generation in …

Organic Waste To Energy: Diverting Campus Waste For Sustainable Energy Production, Luke Theisen

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Boise State University produces organic waste in the form of food scraps. This is the inevitable result of hosting thousands of people on campus every day, as well as owning many residential halls, multiple buffet style kitchens, and allowing the operations of small food outlets. Additionally, Boise State often supports large sporting events, concerts, lecture opportunities, and more.

The purpose of this research project is to perform an approximate measurement of the organic waste, so that it can be redirected from the landfill and potentially generate energy here on campus. Then, further action and /or an appropriate solution can be …

The Illusion Of Sustainable Development: An Analysis Of Economic Impact And Social Consequences Of The Mayan Train In Yucatán, Melanie Figueroa Zavala

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

As nations pursue economic growth, sustainable development has been positioned as a means to balance economic expansion with environmental consciousness and social equity. However, the reality of such initiatives reveals a troubling contradiction. While sustainable development projects such as ecotourism, clean energy, and infrastructure are presented as mechanisms for economic and environmental improvement, they frequently exacerbate socio-economic disparities and displace vulnerable communities. This study looks at sustainable development projects in Mexico, utilizing the Tren Maya or Mayan Train as a key case study that showcases the political, social, and economic nuances of sustainable development.

Rather than fostering local empowerment, most …

Jonathan David Knott

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Jonathan David Knott, held at First Baptist Church of Orlando on April 15, 2025.

The Genius Of The And, Tim Van Soelen

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Benford’S Law And Machine Learning For Financial Fraud Detection, Benjamin R. Fu

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Financial fraud, particularly credit card fraud, continues to pose substantial challenges to financial institutions due to its increasing frequency and impact on consumer trust. While traditional rule-based methods have provided foundational defenses, their limitations in scalability and adaptability have accelerated the adoption of machine learning (ML) techniques. Concurrently, Benford’s Law—a statistical principle often used in forensic accounting—has demonstrated efficacy in detecting anomalies within naturally occurring numerical datasets. This study explores a hybrid fraud detection approach that integrates Benford’s Law with supervised machine learning algorithms, including Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and k-Nearest Neighbors. Using the publicly available European credit card fraud …

Dessert, Isabella M. Prok Miss

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This art piece uses all of the text from the book "Breakfast at Tiffany's" to touch on themes of abundance, self sustainability, storytelling, and language.

Sincerely,, Megan E. Hudson

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Sincerely, is a personal study of how language is used to document and process past relationships. The work is my own experience with utilizing letter-writing to find closure with those whom the letters may never be sent. Through viewing the writing process and watching heartfelt messages write themselves out for none of the recipients to ever see, one can see how language and catharsis go hand in hand.

Waite And See: The Problem With Class Action Litigation To Enforce Copyright Termination Rights, Justice Slone

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Waite And See: The Problem With Class Action Litigation to Enforce Copyright Termination Rights is piece of legal scholarship written by Belmont College of Law’s Justice Slone. The article explores the various challenges that artists face when trying to exercise their rights of copyright termination. Copyright termination is a mechanism that was introduced as part of the Copyright Act of 1976 and allows authors who have transferred ownership of their copyrighted works to third parties to reclaim that ownership after 35 years. Often times, at the time that an artist is making a transfer of ownership, they have vastly inferior …

Winter 2025 - Summer Associate Prep, University Of Michigan Law Library

Legal Tech Series

Are you ready for your Summer Internship? Attend this session to learn what practice area specific resources the firms are using, download guides and other resources to help prepare you for practical law firm work, and ask a former law firm librarian anything!

Resources covered: practice area specific legal technology, Summer Associate Resource Kits/Toolkits, law firm specific questions you have.

Effects Of Vacuum-Assisted Venous Drainage In Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Scoping Review, Brandon Williamson

Student Works

Introduction: The use of Vacuum-assisted Venous Drainage (VAVD) in cardiopulmonary bypass is a standard in many perfusion practices. This scoping review targets the need for all positive and negative effects to be accounted for when using VAVD. A well thought out scoping review is the basis for additional research like a systematic review to be assembled. The goal of this scoping review is to encompass this topic to the best of its ability and supply relevant data in this field.

Methods: This scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping …

Reconstructing Faulkner: Project Digitizes Author's Personal Library, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – A new University of Mississippi project seeks to share Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner's library with the world.

St. Louis Digital Humanities Event Program (April 15, 2025), Stl. Digital Humanities

2025 Showcase

No abstract provided.

Feature Typology And L2 Proficiency Matter: L3 Acquisition Of Portuguese, Mila Tasseva-Kurktchieva, Danielle Fahey

Faculty Publications

To determine the source of transfer in third language acquisition (L3A), we tested the effects of grammatical feature typology and L2 Spanish proficiency on the comprehension and production of grammatical [gender] and [number] in the early stages of L3A of Portuguese. We distinguish between the two features based on their participation in the lexical-conceptual structure of the lemma and its interaction with the morpho-syntactic derivation. L1 English speakers were tested on their knowledge of the features in both their L2 and their L3 through a grammaticality judgment task and an elicited production task. Results show that L3 learners transfer only …

Department Of Managed Health, Zoe Bulls, Marcus Friedman, Erol Kilic

California Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Contractors State License Board, Shun Lam, Katie González

California Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Dosage Du Cadmium, Cobalt, Chrome Et Nickel Urinaire Par Icp-Ms, Sébastien Gagné, Eric Langlois

Toxicologiques

No abstract provided.

Volumetric Changes In Cerebellar Transverse Zones: Age And Sex Effects In Health And Neurological Disorders, Farshid Ghiyamihoor, Payam Paymani, Jarrad Perron, Azam Asemi-Rad, Mehdi Marzban, Aashka Mohite, Karen Ardila, Bara Aljada, Asghar Marzban, Mehnosh Toback, Sherif Eltonsy, Ji Hyun Ko, Tabrez J Siddiqui, Christopher J Steele, Jiming Kong, Mario Manto, M Ethan Macdonald, Jason S Gill, Roy V Sillitoe, Fuat Balcı, Iman Beheshti, Hassan Marzban

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Cerebellar volumetric changes are intricately linked to aging, with distinct patterns across its transverse zones, the functional subdivisions characterized by unique cytoarchitectural and connectivity profiles. Despite research efforts, the cerebellar aging process in health and neurological disorders remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of age and sex on total cerebellum, transverse zone, and lobule volumes using MRI data from over 45,000 participants compiled from six neuroimaging datasets. We also propose a framework for estimating cerebellum age as an indicator of cerebellar health. Significant age‐dependent volume reductions were observed across transverse zones, with the …