Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Age And Sex In The Effects Of Repeated Methamphetamine Exposure On Hedonic Tone In Sprague Dawley Rats, Cameron Lewis, Conor Strumberger, Joshua M. Gulley

PRECS student projects

Anhedonia is defined as a reduced or complete loss of pleasure from a previously pleasurable stimulus, and it is comprised of two dimensions:

• Hedonic anhedonia consists of a distinct loss of pleasure in consumption of a normally pleasurable stimulus.
• Motivational anhedonia involves the goal directed behavior to obtain a reward.

Withdrawal induced anhedonia following use of methamphetamine (METH) is thought to contribute to relapse behaviors^1,2 . The anhedonic effects of drug withdrawal largely depend on dose, frequency, and the duration of drug exposure^4,5,6.

The role of sex and age of exposure in this context has yet to …

Acth Challenge: Stress Response Across Tadpole Development, Lauren W. Mobo, Lucas Jimenez, Lisa L. Surber-Cunningham, Eva K. Fischer

PRECS student projects

Research Questions

1. Do tadpoles excrete more cortisol or corticosterone?
2. Do tadpoles excrete more corticosterone after ACTH injections?
3. Does the ACTH stress response change across development?

The Tomato Strikes Back: Plant Response To Environmental Stress, Maya K. Davis, Erinn Dady, Esther N. Ngumbi

PRECS student projects

Introduction

• Tomato is an important vegetable. Its production is threatened due to altered weather patterns which increase environmental stressors such as flooding^{1, 2} and herbivory³ to crops.
• Plants respond in many ways. Stressed plants strike back to environmental stress by altering their chemistry⁴:

1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions
2. Defensive secondary metabolites²

• Stress induced physiological changes in plants impact growth and development of insects.
• This study is broken into two experiments:

1. The plant response to flooding stress
2. The insect performance on flooded plants

Potential Implications Of Elevated Co2 For Enhanced Rock Weathering In Croplands, Hannah Maher, Megan Allen, Lisa Ainsworth

PRECS student projects

• Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are increasing by 2.37 ppm year, and levels have increased from about 370 ppm in 2000 to about 420 ppm in 2023¹
• Increased CO₂ levels result in climate change, including increased temperatures and drought which impacts soybean crops
• Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is the process of spreading basalt on fields to accelerate the natural reaction between rocks, CO2, and water²
• Enhanced Rock Weathering is a possible way to combat increasing CO₂ levels because of its carbon sequestration properties²

Revisiting The Reproductive Behaviors Of Blackspotted Stickleback, Cassidy Constant, Megan Tucker, Colby Behrens, Alison M. Bell

PRECS student projects

Why Blackspotted Stickleback?

How Behaviors Evolve Comparing closely related species can give insights into how behavior evolves.

Well studied: Three-spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

• Model organism for natural variation in behavioral evolution 1.
• Divergence in parental care in two ecotypes1,2.
• White and common ecotypes recently diverged 2.

Lesser studied: Blackspotted Stickleback (Gasterosteus wheatlandi)

• Three-spined’s closest living relative.
• Possible behavioral intermediate of commons & whites.
• Blackspotted egg dispersal is similar to white three-spined 3.

How Fungicide Alters The Hidden Mycobiome Of A Restored Prairie System, Mya Reyes, Noah Brown, Anthony Yannarell

PRECS student projects

• Fungal Endophytes are microscopic fungi that live inside plant tissues and form a symbiotic relationship that influences the fitness of both parties.

• Fungicides are a widely used method of crop disease control in agriculture, but fungicides can be carried into other environments by water and wind.

• This experiment looks at how long-term fungicide exposure affects diversity of fungal endophytes that are grown in vitro as well as screens them for phosphate solubilization ability.

• Phosphate is a vital macronutrient that is essential for making nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) as well as playing a vital role in energy transfer throughout the plant's …

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Ais Teaching Curation Project: The Introductory Course In Information Systems, James Burleson, Teagen Nabity-Grover, Karim Jetha

IT and Supply Chain Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Association for Information Systems (AIS) Teaching Curation Project aims to highlight and summarize research within the association that focuses on the major courses taught in Information Systems (IS) programs. The present literature review is a companion to a curation website specific to the introductory course in IS. In this review, we identify three major themes that pervade this literature: IS program enrollment, pedagogy, and curriculum. We use these themes to structure our summary of the research on the importance of the introductory course and various approaches to instruction. These themes also provide a framework for positioning future research. For …

On The Reproducibility Of Power Analyses In Motor Behavior Research, Brad Mckay, Mariane F. B. Bacelar, Michael J. Carter

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent metascience suggests that motor behavior research may be underpowered, on average. Researchers can perform a priori power analyses to ensure adequately powered studies. However, there are common pitfalls that can result in underestimating the required sample size for a given design and effect size of interest. Critical evaluation of power analyses requires successful analysis reproduction, which is conditional on the reporting of sufficient information. Here, we attempted to reproduce every power analysis reported in articles (k = 84/635) in three motor behavior journals between January 2019 and June 2021. We reproduced 7% of analyses using the reported information, …

Critical Workforce Skills For Bachelor-Level Geoscientists: An Analysis Of Geoscience Job Advertisements, G. W. Shafer, K. Viskupic, A. E. Egger

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding the skills bachelor-level geoscientists need to enter the workforce is critical to their success. The goal of this study was to identify the workforce skills that are most requested from a broad range of geoscience employers. We collected 3668 job advertisements for bachelor-level geoscientists and used a case-insensitive, code-matching function in Matlab to determine the skills geoscience employers seek. Written communication (67%), field skills (63%), planning (53%), and driving (51%) were most frequently requested. Field skills and data collection were frequently found together in the ads. Written communication skills were common regardless of occupation. Quantitative skills were requested less …

Tectonomagmatic Evolution Of Southwestern Laurentia: Insights From Zircon U-Pb Geochronology And Hafnium Isotopic Composition Of The Red Bluff Granite Suite, West Texas, Usa, Munazzam Ali Mahar, Philip C. Goodell, Jason W. Ricketts, Eric J. Kappus, James L. Crowley, Anthony M. Alvarez

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We provide laser ablation–multicollector–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) and high-precision chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic compositions of zircons from the Red Bluff Granite Suite and mafic dikes in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, USA. Granitoids exposed in the Franklin Mountains were previously divided into five magmatic stages based on cross-cutting relationships. Major and trace element compositions showed that these granitoids are ferroan, alkaline, and A2 type. Homogeneity in the whole-rock geochemistry suggests that the granite stages are genetically related and share similar petrogenetic histories. Weighted mean zircon ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U …

Advances In Our Understanding Of Pyroclastic Current Behavior From The 1980 Eruption Sequence Of Mount St. Helens Volcano (Washington), Usa, Brittany D. Brand, Aaron A. Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

This review summarizes what the volcanology community has learned thus far from studying the deposits of pyroclastic currents (PCs) from the 1980 eruption sequence at Mount St. Helens. The review includes mass flow events during the May 18 eruption, including the lateral blast, the afternoon column collapse and boil-over PC activity, and some aspects of the debris avalanche. We also include a summary of PCs generated in the smaller eruptions following the climactic May 18 event. Our objective is to summarize the state of our understanding of PC transport and emplacement mechanisms from the combination of field and laboratory observations, …

Put Your Money Where Their Mouths Are: A Case For State-Based Investment In Anti-Shaming Policies For School Lunch Programs, Shayna Roth

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Despite its goals for feeding hungry students, the federal government’s National School Lunch Program falls short due to a lack of guidance and resources. One consequence of these circumstances is shaming practices where schools use fear, punishment, and socioeconomic segregation tactics to mitigate meal price deficits. The federal government and several state governments attempt, and sometimes succeed, to enact legislation to improve school lunch programs, but efforts are few and far between. This Note draws on effective state laws to advocate for increased legislative action on school meals across all states, specifically addressing and prohibiting shaming practices. Eliminating this barrier …

A Search Renewed: Continuing Survey Efforts To Locate Lucas Vazquez De Ayllon's Lost Capitana, Amber Cabading

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Human Population Growth And Accessibility From Cities Shape Rangeland Condition In The American West, Juan M. Requena-Mullor, Jodi Brandt, Matthew A. Williamson, T. Trevor Caughlin

Human-Environment Systems Research Center Faculty Publications and Presentations

Drylands cover 40 % of the global land surface and more than 3 billion people worldwide are dependent on the ecosystem services (ES) that they provide (Hoover et al., 2020). Dryland ecosystems are subject to multiple forces of change, including climate change, invasive plants, and increasing wildfires (Maestre et al., 2016). For example, human pressure and land use intensification can quickly induce changes in healthy drylands that lead to degradation, thus reducing their capacity to recover from extreme climate events (Gunderson, 2000, Sun et al., 2021). We define degradation as a transition from a functional native ecosystem to an undesired …

A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Cork Versus Traditional Shoe Insole Material, Alexandra Lum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Shoes are conventionally produced from materials like plastic or rubber that have detrimental impacts on the environment such as exacerbating existing waste accumulation, increasing global amounts of greenhouse gasses, or releasing toxic chemicals into soils and groundwater. These impacts have pushed footwear companies to introduce more sustainable and ecologically-friendly materials in their products. Roughly half of all cork production occurs in Portugal. The present work employs a comparative life cycle assessment approach between traditional plastic and rubber insole material and cork insole material to investigate the environmental impact of each. Results show that during each stage of the insole life …

An Analysis Of Factors In The Policymaking Process That Enabled Prison Sentence Decreases Through The 2022 Organic Law Of Comprehensive Guarantee Of Sexual Freedom/La Ley Del Solo Sí Es Sí In Spain, Cambron Wade

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

To follow through on their ratification of the Istanbul Convention and public outcry after La Manada case, the Spanish Government passed the Organic Law of Comprehensive Guarantee of Sexual Freedom, also known as the law of only yes is yes (or la ley del solo sí es sí) - which came into effect on October 7, 2022. This law changed the Criminal Code by removing the distinction between sexual assault and sexual abuse, which previously caused victims to endure the difficult process of proving that there was violence and intimidation. By moving all sexual acts without consent under the category …

Geopolitics Of Semiconductor Supply Chains: The Case Of Tsmc, Us-China-Taiwan Relations, And The Covid-19 Crisis, Aditya Sehgal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the demand for more advanced forms of technology continues to grow, so does the global importance and reliance on semiconductors. This research paper examines the impact of semiconductor shortages on both consumer and military production, as well as the geopolitical implications embedded within the global supply chain.

The paper begins by providing an overview of semiconductors, the global semiconductor market, and the impact of COVID-19 on the industry’s supply chain. It also discusses the importance of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in the industry and its role in addressing semiconductor shortages.

Next, the paper discusses the impact of …

Wishing For Water While Fleeing Their Farms: A Study Of Water Scarcity And Internal Migration In Tunisia, Tyler Rak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How does water scarcity and limited water access impact internal migration? I argue that water scarcity and limited access to water is likely to increase internal migration in Tunisia. The mechanism through which I will investigate this relationship is in the agricultural sector. In this research, I found that water scarcity does exist in Tunisia and that scarcity impacts the economy, employment, and perceptions of rural areas in Tunisia. This, in turn, likely contributes to internal migration, although my research could not conclude whether water scarcity acts a causative factor to internal migration. This topic has become more prevalent than …

Las Barreras Sociales, Económicas, Y Políticas Que Deben Enfrentar Las Mujeres Víctimas De Violencia Al Momento De Realizar La Denuncia Y De Recibir Protección En El Departamento De Maipú, Provincia De Mendoza En El Año 2023 / The Social, Economic, And Political Barriers That Female Victims Of Domestic Violence Face When Reporting Violence Or Accessing The Corresponding Protection Services In Maipú, Mendoza In 2023, Amelia Opsahl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este informe analiza las barreras que enfrentan las víctimas de la violencia contra las mujeres al momento de realizar una denuncia y acceder a los servicios de ayuda en el departamento de Maipú, Mendoza en el año 2023. Realicé este trabajo a través de cinco entrevistas presenciales con profesionales que trabajan con el tema en el departamento. Cada una de mis entrevistadas tiene una profesión distinta y trabajan sea con las víctimas, sea con los políticos, o bien con los propios agresores. Por eso, mis entrevistas ofrecen una mirada amplia de la problemática y me permite investigar las barreras que …

La Ausencia/Presencia De La Asexualidad Y La Sexualnormatividad En La Educación Sexual Integral En Las Escuelas Secundarias En La Ciudad Autónoma De Buenos Aires / The Absence/Presence Of Asexuality And Sexualnormativity In Comprehensive Sexual Education In Secondary Schools In The Autonomous City Of Buenos Aires, Marin Hart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto investiga el lugar de la asexualidad en la Educación Sexual Integral en el nivel medio en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Desde una mirada basada en la teoría queer, este trabajo analiza los lineamientos curriculares del nivel medio y entrevistas a personas involucradas en la ESI, y concluye que la asexualidad, como todas las identidades queer, no aparece en los lineamientos y aparece muy poco en la ESI en general. Además, cuando aparecen las identidades queer en la ESI, se presentan dentro del marco de la tolerancia y no discriminación, y por el modo de hacerlo, terminan …

Neoliberalismo Y La Mar: Los Efectos Del Sistema Neoliberal Y La Pesca Artesanal De Caleta Portales, Isaac Bronfine

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is meant to explore the fundamental conflict between the neoliberal system implemented in Chilean society and the artisanal fishing sector, represented by Caleta Diego Portales in Valparaíso, Chile. The struggle of the artisanal fishing sector has been made more salient in the minds of the general Chilean public due to the estallido social or “social explosion” in 2019 which lead to a process of drafting a new constitution, and the recent corruption scandals regarding government officials and fishing law reforms.

Beginning with how neoliberal theory gained traction in intellectual spaces around the world, this study then examines how …

La Formación De La Identidad Afrodescendiente Y Su Manifestación En Movimientos Políticos, Simone Watson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The intent of this investigation is to identify the primary elements that have incited the emergence of the political movements of the Afro-descendants within Chile. Across the world people of darker hues, specifically those of African descent, face systemic discrimination and therefore oppression by the hands of states across the African Diaspora. Until 2019, Chile had not acknowledged the existence of Afro Chileans, their culture, nor their contributions to Chilean society. The intrinsic nature of racial discrimination in Chile alongside the lack of government recognition of the Afro Chilean identity has produced political movements within the country, most notably in …

Hydrological Patterns Of The Chimborazo Reserve: Streamflow, Climate, And Glacier Recession Data Show A Loss Of Glacial Influence On The Southwestern Aspect Of The Chimborazo Volcano, Ecuador., William F. M. Patrick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Chimborazo volcano of the central Ecuadorian Andean Cordillera (6310 m) has been shown to currently be undergoing extreme glacial recession due to climate change. For this reason, this study sought to analyze climate and glacier recession data in conjunction with streamflow from kryal (glacial-fed), rhithral (non-glacial-fed), and intermediate streams to not only evaluate the current health of Chimborazo’s glaciers, but also determine how hydrology in the region will respond to future climate change. The rate of glacial recession on the volcano was determined using satellite imagery between 1965 and 2019. Measurements of stream elevation, pH, water temperature, width, depth, …

An Exploratory Study Into Empowering Grade 10 And 11 Learners Through Critical Engagement With South African Literature: A Case Study In Cato Manor, Sally Fales

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This qualitative research project explores how critical engagement with Black South- African authored literature empowers the voices of grade 10 and 11 students in the Cato Manor township of South Africa. Located within a Freirean educational framework, this research utilizes a critical pedagogy approach to empower student voices through representation in texts, deconstruction of a knowledge hierarchy, problem-posing pedagogy, and exposure to themes of racial pride and self-agency in selected literature. This study employs a general qualitative design paradigm consisting of engagement with 3 focus groups of 10-11 learners spanning grades 10 and 11 in Cato Manor public secondary schools. …

Variation In The Growth Parameters And Biomass Of Rhizophora Mangle Seedlings With Distances From Playa Estrella, Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Thiny Tep

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mangrove is a salt-tolerant, intertidal, tropical tree or shrub and make up a rich community of various organism. On the Caribbean coast of Panama, in Bocas del Toro, mangrove forests cover 28 km² and are dominated by R. mangle, followed by L. racemosa and A. germinans. Simultaneously, Isla Colón, the most populated and developed among all islands in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, is a tourist center. Unfortunately, tourism comes at the price of environmental degradation via alteration of natural habitats, solid and wastewater pollution. Therefore, this study aims to gain a preliminary understanding on how the …

Rocky Intertidal Community Structure Along An Upwelling Gradient Between Playa Venao And Nueva Gorgona On Panama’S Pacific Coast, Claire Brady

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ecological research on rocky intertidal ecosystems has increasingly focused on the regional oceanographic processes that shape community structure over functional group interactions. Intertidal communities’ dependence on onshore and offshore transport of intertidal species larvae, dissolved inorganic nutrients, and phytoplankton signal that upwelling and nearshore currents can have an influential role in determining the growth and composition of intertidal systems. The community structure of rocky intertidal areas was compared between two locations along an upwelling gradient in the Gulf of Panama: Nueva Gorgona, with intermittent seasonal upwelling, and Playa Venao, with fringe seasonal upwelling. The surface cover of algae, barnacles, and …

Troop Composition And Behavior Of Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliata) In Mangroves And Forested Islands South Of David, Panama, Slate Hyacinthe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The mantled howler monkey, Alouatta palliata, is one of the most commonly studied and widely distributed primate species in Central America. They have been reported to inhabit mangrove environments in Panama, but few studies have undertaken to describe their demography and behavior in these particular ecosystems. For my study, I spent 12 days studying A. palliata populations in both the mangrove and forested island ecosystems (Isla Parida and Isla Boca Brava) south of David. Seven groups were found in the mangrove environments, and 11 groups were found on the island environments. The mangrove groups were significantly smaller and at a …

Understanding Invasive Predation: Detections Of Feral Cats (Felis Catus) On Kangaroo Island’S Western River Refuge, Leah Boget

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Feral cats (Felis catus) are a priority-level threat for small to medium-sized native vertebrates across Australia and especially so in insular environments like that of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The island is home to several endangered and geographically restricted species, including the Kangaroo Island Dunnart (Sminthopsis aitkeni), an endangered marsupial endemic to Kangaroo Island. When bushfires spread across the island and burned x percent of native vegetation in late 2019 to early 2020, these populations were critically impacted and post-fire feral cat predation on the island risked their extinctions, motivating the creation of a refuge with …

Exploring The Influence Of Globalization And Self-Expression In Shaping The Vietnamese Lgbtq+ Community In Urban Vietnam, Minh-Thy Tyler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The LGBTQ+ community is estimated to make up around 9% to 11% of Vietnam’s total population. Over the past few decades, Vietnam has undergone significant changes, marked by its increasing interconnectedness with the global community. These changes have also brought about a shift in perceptions and advocacy toward the LGBTQ+ community. Also bringing along a change in attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community in Vietnam is self-expression and fashion. Through drag or wearing gender-nonconforming attire, queer individuals are able to challenge the restrictive gender binary prevalent in Vietnamese society. Self-expression and fashion are also critical in helping queer individuals form and …

Coastal Morphology And Sediment Deposition On Adjacent Coral Reefs At Misali Island, Sophia Rosati

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems are frequently interpreted under separate lenses. On a 1 km wide island, however, these two sciences are inextricably tied. Misali Island, a small coralline island in the Indian Ocean, has been largely uninhabited for its entire history, making this coastal interface unique. In this study, Misali Island is used as a study region to demonstrate how natural processes are materializing in the Zanzibar Archipelago. Methods employed, both geological and marine, work to understand the erosional circumstances of Baobab Beach and the inherent effects on local coral reefs. Results show that Misali’s northeastern beachfront is currently under …