Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Sex-Dependent Changes In The Gut Microbiome Caused By Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Pcb) Exposure., Zayna Qaissi

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that have been associated with fatty liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, and other metabolic dysfunctions. Our laboratory group previously demonstrated that exposures to PCBs led to sex-dependent liver outcomes with female mice showing higher susceptibility to PCB- induced liver toxicity. Some of the underlying mechanisms driving these sex-dependent outcomes that were identified included PCB-modulated endocrine disruption. However, the PCB effects on the gut microbiome and the gut liver axis have not been investigated. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to identify PCB-induced changes in the gut microbiome and identify if this could …

The Madwoman In The Refrigerator And A Song Of Ice And Fire., Alex Herm

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

There is an existing trope in the fantasy genre I call the madwoman in the refrigerator—in which a female character is killed, maimed, raped, depowered, and/or made to go mad or insane when she is no longer able to uphold the conventional genre expectations of her role in the narrative, such as the angel, monster, or angelic monster. It is a combination of the theory from Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar that women are demure angels when they are fulfilling stereotypical feminine roles in a narrative and when desire or agency is found, the woman is a monster, portrayed as …

What's Your Research Personality? A New Way Of Engaging Students In Resource And Service Discovery Through A Homegrown Quiz App, Troy Walker, Veronica Bielat

Library Scholarly Publications

How can libraries push resource and service information to students in engaging ways? Influenced by social media personality quizzes, we designed a questionnaire-style app that uses learning preferences and personality traits to connect students with the library resources they need most. This LOEX 2022 session will demonstrate how libraries can use innovative approaches with their existing resources to draw students in. We will use our Research Personality Quiz as a starting point to discuss design approaches for similar projects and explore the technical challenges that may be encountered (and overcome) in creating and launching similar types of quiz apps.

Participants …

Broadband Access: Assessing The Digital Divide In East Texas, Manuel Reyes-Loya, Marilyn Young, Joshua Menhennett

Hibbs Newsletter

It is widely known that different individuals have different access to broadband and technology based on their geographic location, which is frequently called “the digital divide”. Broadband is the access to high-speed internet that is alwayson and faster than dial-up access; this can include fiber, wireless, digital subscriber line (DSL), satellite or cable.1 Broadband access does not mean that the homes have completely adopted a broadband service program, but that if they were looking to adopt or purchase a program, it would be available to them. Whereas a household who has a subscription has access to broadband technology, decided to …

Synthesis Of Allylic Synthons And Application Of Pyrrole Thiocarboxylic Acids In The Synthesis Of Pyrrole-Imidazole Alkaloids, Olatunji Seyi Ojo

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

The first part of this dissertation describes the synthesis of allylic compounds from terminal alkenes without the use of any catalysts or oxidants. One of the most versatile molecules in organic chemistry is allylic compounds. Their importance arises from their miscellaneous reactivity which makes them attractive to organic chemists. They are found in several molecules that have medicinal and synthetic utilities. The preparations of allylic compounds have been majorly through transition metal catalyzed process. The second part describes the formation of pyrrole-carboxamide in pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids. Pyrroleimidazole alkaloids have gained attention of synthetic chemists due to their potential therapeutical applications and …

The Sea Also Rises, Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury

Local Reports and Publications

The public interest in SLR inspired the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury to investigate why SLR is happening, how damaging its effects will be, and what must be done to adapt to it.

In September 2022, the conclusion of a study conducted by the County’s Planning Department is expected to recommend the collaborative approach that should be pursued to address SLR around Humboldt Bay. It may be as simple as an informal working group or as formal as a newly created regional agency. Whatever recommendation is forthcoming, the Grand Jury recommends it should be established as soon as possible due …

Jesuits In The New World: A Contrast In Conversion Of North And South America, John C. Haynes Jr.

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This paper contrasts the methodologies of French Jesuits in New France of North America against the Spanish Jesuits in the Rio de la Plata region of South America to explain differences of conversion rates of the indigenous peoples to Christianity. Several significant differences allow for diverging experiences between the two. Ultimately, this research proposes that it is the Brazilian slave trade that is the largest driving factor in the comparative success that the Spanish Jesuits achieved in the reductions amongst the Guarani people.

The Mongol “Other” And The Limits Of Europe’S Christian Self-Perception, Kevin Petersen

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

In a 1250 C.E. letter to Pope Innocent IV regarding a possible Mongol invasion, King Bela IV of Hungary vividly illustrates the self-perception of Europe as a Christian civilization through a conflation of Europe and Christendom. However, the limits of this civilizational self-perception are revealed through an analysis of an earlier series of letters between the chief of the Mongols Guyuk Khan and Pope Innocent IV.

Review Of The Reagan Era: A History Of The 1980s, Rhett Jordan

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Book review

The Lost Princes: Who Murdered King Edward V And His Brother In 1483?, Darcy Mueller

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

One of the most famous unsolved historical mysteries is the fate of King Edward V of England and his younger brother Richard Duke of York following their disappearance in the summer of 1483 at the ages of 12 and 10 respectively. The two boys disappeared during a highly turbulent time for the British monarchy known today as the War of the Roses. An examination of the available evidence from the time, including the political situation, reveals that the leading theory is probably correct—the two boys were most likely secretly killed by their paternal uncle Richard III, as he grew increasingly …

Review Of Dreams In A Time Of War: A Childhood Memoir, Jahnyiah Davis

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Book review

The Relationship Among Social And Psychological Inclusion, Marginalized Group Membership, And Student Outcomes, Katheryn Munguia

Education (PhD) Dissertations

As diversity grows in the United States, schools are tasked with supporting diverse students. This dissertation explored the concept of social and psychological inclusion as a potential protective factor for marginalized students. It examined the variables of inclusion, marginalized group membership, and student outcomes using the California Healthy Kids Survey administered to secondary students. Marginalized group membership included examining race, ethnicity, and the presence of bullying for a disability. Student outcomes included self-reported grades and attendance. This study revealed that the degree of inclusion affected students’ self-reported grades and attendance, with students reporting higher grades and attendance with higher degrees …

“I Just Learn Differently”: The Experiences Of Dis/Abled Students Of Color Interpreting And Resisting Normalizing Forces In The Mathematics Classroom, Dina Mahmood

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This critical phenomenological study employs a disabilities studies in education and critical race theory (DisCrit) lens to unpack the learning experiences of seven dis/abled students of color in the secondary mathematics classroom. Based on data collected from individual and group interviews, the counter-stories presented in this study highlight the implicit and explicit ways that the normative forces of ableism and racism circulate in the secondary mathematics classroom. Through their education journey maps, the participants described forms of hyper-labeling, experiences of implicit and explicit biases from teachers and peers, and rigid conceptions of mathematics that constrained their success. The counter-stories are, …

Temporal And Spatial Comparison Of Pseudo-Nitzschia Species Composition And Domoic Acid In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island And The Northeast U.S. Shelf, Isabella Church, Bethany D. Jenkins

Senior Honors Projects

Diatoms are unicellular algae that make up a significant portion of phytoplankton biomass at the base of marine food webs. Narragansett Bay (NB), RI is home to several species of the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia (P-n), some of which are known to cause harmful algal blooms through the production of the potent neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). This toxin can lead to Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning in humans through the consumption of affected shellfish. Although the presence of P-n has been well established in NB for over 50 years, DA levels have only recently become a problem, with shellfish harvest closures …

Multicopy Suppression Of Ribosomal Protein Deletion Mutants, Jacqualine Cerbone

Senior Honors Projects

To suppress the ribosome assembly defective phenotype of a ribosomal protein uS17- deficient mutant, various ribosomal proteins were used to act as multicopy suppressors. Ribosomal protein uS17 is a highly conserved component of the 30S (small) ribosomal subunit and is important for 30S subunit assembly. Mutants with a deletion of rpsQ (the gene encoding uS17) are viable but have a severe 30S subunit assembly defect and a temperature-sensitive (ts) phenotype. While fully assembled 30S subunits do form, incomplete ("20S") particles lacking several proteins accumulate. We hypothesized that increasing the intracellular concentration of one or more of the proteins missing from …

Inequality, Social Reproduction And Economic Growth, Patrice Geffrard

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Children's Book On Pragmatics, Emily Conners

Senior Honors Projects

Pragmatics of communication is the use of social language skills when communicating with others. These skills are important in learning how to appropriately communicate and in building relationships. This is one area of communication that children can have difficulties with when they are developing language skills.

This children’s book focuses on one pragmatic skill learned during development, using language to request permission, with the goal of teaching children aged two to five about its importance. I used my background knowledge in pragmatics and child development to write a story about a boy named Jacob that struggles to ask his Grandpa …

Effects Of One-Pass Microwave Drying On Rice’S Utilization In The Brewing Process., Christopher Stuckey

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rice is utilized as an adjunct grain by the beer manufacturing industry. Before utilization, the rice has to be dried to a desired moisture content. The drying process employed may have an impact on the rice’s physicochemical properties which influence the rice’s performance in the brewing process. This study focused on investigating the impact of microwave drying on rice’s physicochemical properties and utilization in the brewing process. Rough rice samples at an initial moisture content of 19.7% wet basis were exposed to microwave dryer set to deliver 525 kJ/kg of energy in a single drying pass. The effects of the …

Commercial Transportation, Madeline E. Mcneeley, Sarah L. Adle, Joshua H. Dorminy, Elizabeth M. Brooks, Stephen G. Lowry

Mercer Law Review

Commercial transportation involves all the significant forms of passenger and freight transportation across the United States. This Article surveys significant judicial, regulatory, and legislative developments in federal commercial transportation law affecting Georgia, Florida, and Alabama during the period from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. The first three areas discussed here are subject to heavy federal regulation due to their far-reaching effects on interstate commerce: aviation, trucking and other commercial motor vehicles, and railroads. The remaining subjects covered in this Article— autonomous-vehicle technology, shareable electric bicycles, and shareable scooters—remain regulated primarily at the state and local levels but are …

Evidence, W. Randall Bassett, Val Leppert, Lauren Newman Smith

Mercer Law Review

In its 2021 term, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued several important and precedential opinions on a number of evidentiary topics. For example, in two opinions, the court considered the totality of the evidence to determine whether admission of testimonial hearsay implicated the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause or was instead harmless error. The court also twice addressed whether a suggestion to the jury that a defendant’s silence was substantive evidence of his guilt violated the defendant’s Fifth Amendment rights.

Additionally, the Eleventh Circuit issued several opinions concerning lay witness and expert testimony. In two opinions …

Federal Income Taxation, Andrew Todd

Mercer Law Review

In 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit handed down several opinions involving U.S. federal income tax issues. Two of the court’s published opinions address federal income taxation of conservation easements. Conservation easements have been under significant scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), having earned a spot on the “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams in 2019. This Article surveys the two published opinions issued in 2021 involving the U.S. federal income taxation of conservation easements.

Immigration Law, Bianca N. Dibella, Hannah Couch

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, in which immigration law was a central focus of the case. The Article begins with a discussion of asylum relief, followed by summaries of cases disposed on procedural or jurisdictional grounds. It then discusses the standard of review the Eleventh Circuit applies to cases decided by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the Immigration Court. It then describes the Eleventh Circuit’s recent jurisprudence around issues of habeas corpus law.

It’S Time To Resolve The Circuit Split: Unconstitutional Actions By Federal Employees Should Not Fall Within The Scope Of The Discretionary Function Exception Of The Ftca, Laney Ivey

Mercer Law Review

The Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA) is an avenue for United States citizens to sue the federal government for torts committed by government employees within the scope of their work. Congress designed the FTCA to allow citizens to overcome the doctrine of sovereign immunity, which allows citizens to recover from injuries suffered at the hands of government agents. Under the FTCA, there are exceptions where recovery is not allowed; the most prominent exception is known as the discretionary function exception, under which discretionary actions by government employees are immune from liability under the FTCA.

Inevitable Change To Inevitable Discovery: The Eleventh Circuit’S New Standard Of Proof For Cases Addressing The Inevitable Discovery Exception To The Exclusionary Rule, Hannah Pressley

Mercer Law Review

The inevitable discovery doctrine is an exception to the rule that evidence obtained by the government in violation of the Fourth Amendment will be excluded at trial. Under the inevitable discovery doctrine, illegally obtained evidence will be admissible at trial if the government can establish that it would have discovered the evidence even if the Fourth Amendment violation had not occurred. In United States v. Watkins, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, sitting en banc, addressed the following question: what is the standard of proof that the government must meet to show that illegally obtained …

Table Of Contents

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, R. Alejandro Guarin

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recipe Modification For Cardiovascular Health, Meg Tolbert

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. CVDs affect the heart and blood vessels. The most prominent CVDs are coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes.

The most important behavioral risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, but also include harmful abuse of tobacco and alcohol. These lifestyle factors display themselves as phenotypes like high blood pressure, high blood glucose and blood lipids, diabetes, and obesity. These risk factors, outside of genotype …

Creating An Action Plan To Increase Diversity And Inclusion At Northwest Church Of Christ, Kenton Reeves Brown

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to meet a need at the Northwest Church of Christ in Oklahoma City to help the church transition from a church that values diversity to one that realizes its vision of being diverse and inclusive. The scope of this project was to create an action plan to increase diversity and inclusion to present to the church leaders for their consideration. The theological foundation for the project comes from Paul’s convictions, expressed in Gal 1–2, that any who are in Christ should not be excluded or treated as a lower-class member of the community based on their …

Incorporating Wisdom Christology Into The Phronesis Of Courtyard Church Of Christ, Tiffany A. Dahlman

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to address an identified problem Courtyard Church of Christ members were having with decision-making in a way that promoted shalom and reflected Christ to the world. I proposed that Wisdom Christology could assist in the decision-making process and formed an intervention team of five additional people from within the congregation to explore the situation through participatory action research. We met for six sessions in the early months of 2020. The team embarked on a thorough examination of Wisdom Christology through the Scriptures climaxing in the Wisdom Hymn of Col 1:15–20. Our subsequent collective understanding …

Friends Of Ffn, Florida Ornithological Society

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.